Gray Angelfish - Care And Requirements Of The Gray Angelfish

Scientific Name : Pomacanthus Arcuatus
Origin : Carribean, Western Atlantic Ocean
Temperament : Semi-Aggressive
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 16 Inches
Diet : Omnivore
Difficulty : Medium
Reef Safe : No
Tank Size : 150 Gallons

The gray angelfish is a common fish around the Caribbean seas and they are commonly encountered by scuba divers in that area. It is very closely related to the French Angelfish that looks very similar and also inhabits the same waters. Both species have been well documented and if you head on over to Youtube, you will find many videos captured by scuba divers for your viewing pleasure.

As juveniles, they are some of the most beautiful fish in the Pomacanthidae family. They are jet black throughout with five yellow stripes running down their bodies.

Juveniles from both Gray and French angels are near impossible to tell apart if you don't know what to look for. It is said that the first yellow stripe that runs from its forehead is longer and goes beyond the mouth in french angels, while the stripe in grays stops near the mouth.

That is tough to look for if you ask me. Thankfully, there is a much easier way to tell the two apart. The tails on gray angelfish are a lot more straighter than the rounded versions present on the French angels. This trait is also present in adults.

But adults are far easier to tell apart as only the french angelfish has yellow flecks all over its body. Besides these minute differences, they are entirely alike.

Large angels are not reef safe and can quickly wolf down your corals in the marine aquarium. There are always exception to this rule as i have seen with my own eyes. However, for the most part, they are a danger to most corals and sponges in captivity.

In the wild they graze on sponges, corals, polyps and algae. In captivity, they will feed on a wide variety fo foods that are both meaty and vegetable based.

Give them a balanced diet consisting of both plant matter along with meaty foods. Freshly chopped seafood, nori sheets, frozen mysis shrimp and frozen krill are good choices to offer.

A good pellet food for this species come from the reputable New Life Spectrum where they offer pellets for larger fish and are very well balanced.

Both the Gray angelfish and its cousin can grow to huge sizes in the while. It has been reported that they can attain up to 3 feet in length.

Thankfully, they rarely achieve this length in captivity. Expect a length no more than 16 to 17 inches in the marine aquarium.

But they are still big so ensure you can offer it the biggest aquarium you can afford. The minimum would be a 150 gallon but a 250 to 300 gallons is highly recommended.