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King Angelfish

Holacanthus passer

Also known as Passer Angelfish, King Passer Angelfish, King Angel

SaltwaterFish
King Angelfish (Holacanthus passer)
Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F (22–27°C)
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
13.8 in (35 cm)
Minimum tank
151 gal (570 L)
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Origin
Eastern Pacific from the Gulf of California to Peru, including the Galapagos, over rocky reefs.
Family
Pomacanthidae

Overview

Give a king angel at least 570 litres with rock caves and open swimming space at 22 to 27 C and pH 8.1 to 8.4. It is a hardy eater that takes spirulina, marine algae, mysis and angelfish preparations, but it is aggressive, so keep one per tank and choose robust tankmates. It will nip stony and soft corals and clam mantles, making it reef safe only with caution. Add it as one of the last fish so it cannot claim the whole tank.

In the wild

The king angelfish is a bold eastern Pacific angel with a blue-grey body, orange tail and a single white bar. It patrols rocky reefs and cleans parasites off other fish when young. Adults are dominant and territorial. It comes from cooler, productive waters than most tropical angels.

Good to know

Holacanthus passer grows to about 35 cm and ranges along the eastern Pacific coast. Juveniles act as cleaner fish, picking parasites from larger species. It tolerates slightly cooler water than most reef angels.

Did you know

Young king angels run cleaning stations, plucking parasites from fish many times their size.

Where to buy

Some links may not be the exact species or variety.

…or ask your local fish store.

Appears in

Saltwater fish · Saltwater angelfish

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