TankBud

Watanabei angelfish

Genicanthus watanabei

Also known as Watanabe's Angelfish, Blackedged Angelfish

SaltwaterFish

Watanabei angelfish (Genicanthus watanabei)
Jokuyken15 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
5.9 in
15 cm
Minimum tank
79 gal
300 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Pomacanthidae
Origin
Pacific, from Taiwan to the Tuamotu Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands and south to New Caledonia and the Austral Islands

Overview

The Watanabei angelfish is peaceful, and it is one of the easier reef-safe angelfish to place in a mixed tank. It is a fish for keepers past the beginner stage.

Did you know

The Watanabei angelfish was the second Genicanthus species ever captive-bred. An aquarist at a public aquarium in Hawaii reared it, not long after the very first breakthrough with its rare cousin, the masked angelfish.

Caring for the Watanabei angelfish

Give the Watanabei angelfish at least 79 gal (300 L), with open swimming room above the live rock and a steady current. Add plenty of places to retreat to on the rockwork. Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4.

Feed enriched brine shrimp, mysis and marine algae several times a day. It leaves corals and other invertebrates alone.

Watanabei angelfish can live alone, but they do best as a male-female pair or a small harem. Males are pale blue with eight black stripes across the lower two-thirds of the body. Females are pale blue too, with a black bar above the eye and a scatter of spots on the forehead instead. Breeding them is hard.

Good to know

The Watanabei angelfish, Genicanthus watanabei, belongs to the marine angelfish family Pomacanthidae. It is a dedicated planktivore, with almost none of the rock-grazing behavior seen in the large Pomacanthus angels.

In the wild

Watanabei angelfish live on current-swept outer reef slopes and drop-offs across the Pacific, from about 21 to 81 meters deep. Their range runs from Taiwan to the Tuamotu Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands and south to New Caledonia and the Austral Islands. They hover in open water above the rock to feed on plankton.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Watanabei angelfish is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Watanabei angelfish need?

A Watanabei angelfish needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Watanabei angelfish need?

A Watanabei angelfish is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a Watanabei angelfish eat?

A Watanabei angelfish eats enriched brine shrimp, mysis and marine algae. Feed it several times a day.

How big does a Watanabei angelfish get?

An adult Watanabei angelfish reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).

How can you tell a male Watanabei angelfish from a female?

Males are pale blue with eight black stripes across the lower two-thirds of the body. Females are pale blue with a black bar above the eye and spots on the forehead instead.

Related species