Tiger Angelfish

Apolemichthys kingi

Also known as Kingi Angelfish

SaltwaterFish

Tiger Angelfish (Apolemichthys kingi) — Peter Southwood · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 9.8 in (25 cm)
Minimum tank: 151 gal (570 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Very rare
Reef safe: Not reef safe
Origin: Southwestern Indian Ocean
Family: Pomacanthidae

Overview

Give it a mature 570 litre or larger tank with caves, rockwork, and steady grazing, kept toward the cooler end of reef temperatures. It nips sponges, clam mantles, and coral polyps, so treat it as a fish-display angel, and expect a shy settling-in period followed by a bolder, mildly pushy adult.

In the wild

Endemic to the southwestern Indian Ocean along South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal coast, southern Mozambique, and Madagascar. It keeps to rocky reefs and drop-offs roughly 10 to 45 metres down, where rough, surgy conditions keep most divers and collectors away.

Good to know

Apolemichthys kingi reaches about 25 cm and carries bold dark tiger bars over a pale body with a yellow crown. It was not described until 1984 and is recorded hybridizing with the flagfin angelfish where their ranges overlap.

Did you know

This was one of the hobby's holy grail angels for decades because its home reefs are rough and largely protected, so the first captive-bred Tiger Angelfish from Poma Labs in 2023 made news across the aquarium world.