TankBud

French angelfish

Pomacanthus paru

Also known as French Angel

SaltwaterFish

French angelfish (Pomacanthus paru)
LASZLO ILYES from Cleveland, Ohio, USA · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
16.1 in
41 cm
Minimum tank
201 gal
760 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Own kind
One male per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Not reef safe
Family
Pomacanthidae
Origin
Western Atlantic, from Florida and the Bahamas south to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean

Overview

The French angelfish is a big Caribbean and western Atlantic angel for a large tank without corals. Keeping one well takes experience.

Did you know

French angelfish pairs are thought to stay together for life, sharing and defending the same stretch of reef for years. That is rare among large angelfish, which are mostly solitary and territorial toward their own species.

Caring for the French angelfish

Give a French angelfish a large, mature tank of at least 201 gal (760 L), with plenty of live rock. Keep steady algae and some sponge growth on the rock. An adult pair needs the space and grazing it would find on a real reef.

Keep the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Feed a varied diet of marine algae, angelfish preparations and meaty foods.

French angelfish are mostly peaceful but tend to dominate a tank as they grow, especially toward their own kind. Keep only one, unless you are housing an established pair. They are not reef safe, since they pick at soft and stony corals and clam mantles once they settle in. Breeding them is hard.

Good to know

The French angelfish belongs to the family Pomacanthidae and can live 20 years or more in good care. Juveniles are jet black with a few bright yellow vertical bars and yellow-rimmed fins. Adults lose the bars entirely and develop dark gray-black scales, each outlined in yellow. That gives the body a scaled, chainmail-like look.

In the wild

French angelfish live on western Atlantic and Caribbean reefs, from about 3 to 100 meters. Their range runs from Florida and the Bahamas south to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico. Like queen angelfish, the juveniles work as cleaners, picking parasites off other fish before they grow out of the habit.

Common questions

What size tank does a French angelfish need?

A French angelfish needs at least 201 gal (760 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a French angelfish need?

A French angelfish is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a French angelfish eat?

A French angelfish eats a varied diet of marine algae, angelfish preparations and meaty foods.

How big does a French angelfish get?

An adult French angelfish reaches about 16.1 in (41 cm).

Related species