TankBud

Red Sea angelfish

Apolemichthys xanthotis

Also known as Yellow-Eared Angelfish, Yellowear Angelfish, Holacanthus xanthotis

SaltwaterFish

Red Sea angelfish (Apolemichthys xanthotis)
(c) Ewout Knoester, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
7.9 in
20 cm
Minimum tank
125 gal
475 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Reef safe
Not reef safe
Family
Pomacanthidae
Origin
Red Sea and northwestern Indian Ocean

Overview

The Red Sea angelfish is a grazing angelfish for a large, mature saltwater tank. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

Exports from the Red Sea were always sporadic, so most keepers had never seen this fish for sale. That changed when Poma Labs bred the species in the United States.

Caring for the Red Sea angelfish

Give the Red Sea angelfish a mature tank of at least 125 gal (475 L), with rock to graze. Keep the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. It is hardy by angelfish standards, and it grazes sponges. Captive-bred fish arrive already eating pellets.

The Red Sea angelfish is mostly peaceful. Expect a shy start that turns firmer toward other angelfish as it matures. Choose its tank mates with caution.

It will pick at corals and clam mantles, so it belongs in a fish-focused display rather than a reef. Breeding it is hard.

Good to know

Apolemichthys xanthotis belongs to the family Pomacanthidae. It was described in 1950 as Holacanthus xanthotis, before Apolemichthys was raised to a full genus. Adults pair a white body with a jet black face and back and a yellow tail. A small yellow ear spot gives the fish its other common names, yellow-eared and yellowear angelfish.

In the wild

The Red Sea angelfish lives in the Red Sea and around the Arabian Peninsula. Its range runs through the Gulf of Aden to the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. It patrols reef slopes and faces in roughly the top 30 meters. It often moves in pairs between coral heads and rock.

Common questions

What size tank does a Red Sea angelfish need?

A Red Sea angelfish needs at least 125 gal (475 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Red Sea angelfish need?

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

What does a Red Sea angelfish eat?

A Red Sea angelfish grazes sponges, and captive-bred fish arrive already eating pellets.

How big does a Red Sea angelfish get?

An adult Red Sea angelfish reaches about 7.9 in (20 cm).

Related species