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Blue Angelfish

Blue Angelfish

Pomacanthus Semicirculatus

Quick Facts

Scientific namePomacanthus Semicirculatus

Other namesBlue Angel, Half-circled Angelfish, Koran Angelfish, Semicircle Angelfish, Zebra Angelfish

SizeUp to 40 cm (15 in)

WeightUnder a kilo (2.2lb)

FamilyAngelfish / Pomacanthidae

Distribution

Habitat & AU DistributionClear lagoons, reefs, and surge channels.

The Blue Angelfish is a deep-bodied, striking reef fish that can grow to about 40 cm long. It is one of the larger angelfish species divers encounter on Australian reefs.
In Australia, it is found across a wide stretch of coastline, from south-western Western Australia, around the tropical north, and down the east coast to southern New South Wales. It also lives around Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Lord Howe Island.
Beyond Australia, the Blue Angelfish ranges across a huge sweep of the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa all the way east to Samoa. It is also found as far north as southern Japan.
Adults live on coral reefs, favouring areas with rich coral growth and plenty of places to shelter. They are usually seen alone or moving in pairs rather than in large groups.
Juveniles tend to stay in shallower, more sheltered spots, often close to the shore. As they grow, they move out to deeper reefs, typically down to about 40 m.
The Blue Angelfish feeds on sponges, sea squirts and algae. Sponges are tough and low in nutrition, so eating them well takes a jaw built for the job.
Adults are a dusky brownish-green with a paler yellowish midsection covered in small blue spots. The edges of the scales across the rear of the body give a spotted, patterned look, and the fin margins are trimmed in vivid blue.
Look at the face and there is an easy clue: a bright blue ring circles the eye, and the spine at the edge of the gill cover is also blue. These highlights stand out clearly against the darker body.
Juveniles look nothing like the adults. They are dark blue with narrow, curved bars of electric blue and white sweeping across the body. The transformation to adult colours happens gradually as the fish grows.
Blue Angelfish reproduce by releasing their eggs and sperm into the open water, where fertilisation occurs and the tiny eggs are left to drift with the currents.
The Blue Angelfish is thought to live for up to about 15 years. For a reef fish its size, that is a reasonably long life on the reef.
Young Blue Angelfish are prized for their extraordinary juvenile colours. Adults are less commonly kept in aquariums, as they grow large and need plenty of space.

Species Interaction

Blue Angelfish: A Diver's Reef Favourite and Aquarium Icon

Snorkelling & Diving
Aquarium
Ecosystem Role

The Blue Angelfish is a familiar sight for divers and snorkellers along Australia’s tropical reefs, from north-western Western Australia to the Great Barrier Reef and as far south as New South Wales. Its striking adult colouration and dramatically different juvenile patterning make it a highlight of any reef dive. Beyond the reef, it is traded in the marine aquarium hobby, where angelfishes of the genus Pomacanthus are among the most popular tropical marine species kept worldwide.

Species
Sustainability

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Teleostei
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Pomacanthidae
Genus: Pomacanthus
Species: Pomacanthus semicirculatus

Conservation Status

The Blue Angelfish appears on the IUCN Red List, though a confirmed category for Pomacanthus semicirculatus was not available in the retrieved sources. It is not listed under Australia’s EPBC Act. As a reef-associated species collected for the aquarium trade, it faces pressure from habitat degradation and overcollection in parts of its Indo-Pacific range.