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Sixband Angelfish

Sixband Angelfish

Pomacanthus Sexstriatus

Quick Facts

Scientific namePomacanthus Sexstriatus

Other namesSixbanded Angelfish, Six Bar Angelfish, Six Striped Angelfish

SizeUp to 46 cm (18 in)

WeightUp to a kilo (2.2 lb)

FamilyAngelfish / Pomacanthidae

Distribution

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

The Sixband Angelfish is a large, striking reef fish. It can grow to about 46 cm long, making it one of the bigger angelfish in Australian waters.
Adults have a yellowish body crossed by five dark bars on the sides. The head is black with a white bar behind the eye, and blue spots are scattered across the body and fins — it is hard to miss on a reef.
Juveniles look completely different: their bodies are dark, almost black, with around fifteen narrow curved blue and white bars running across the sides. As they grow, this pattern gives way to the bold adult colours.
In Australia, the Sixband Angelfish is found from Shark Bay in Western Australia around the tropical north and down to the southern Great Barrier Reef. It also occurs at Rowley Shoals and Ashmore Reef.
Its range extends well beyond Australia, taking in Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. It reaches as far north as the Ryukyu Islands off southern Japan.
Adults live on lagoon and outer reef slopes in clear water, usually at depths of 3 to 60 m. They are most often seen where coral growth is healthy and the reef has good vertical relief.
Juveniles tend to stay in shallower, more sheltered parts of the reef, while adults venture further out into more exposed areas as they grow.
Sixband Angelfish are most often seen in pairs, and those pairs are thought to stay together long term. It is not uncommon, however, to see one cruising a reef alone.
This species starts life as a female. If a male is needed in a pair, one of the females can change sex and become male. Males and females look identical, so there is no way to tell them apart by eye.
Sixband Angelfish are believed to reproduce by spawning into the water column, where fertilisation takes place and the developing eggs are carried away by the currents.
Adults feed mainly on sponges and tunicates, and will also eat worms, algae and corals. They are known to eat other fishes’ eggs as well.
When threatened or handled, the Sixband Angelfish can produce a loud grunting sound. It is one of the few reef fish that makes a noise a person can hear clearly.
This species is very elusive on the reef and tends to keep its distance from divers. That can make it tricky to get a close look despite its size.
The lifespan of the Sixband Angelfish has not been reliably documented, though some estimates suggest it may live for up to around 20 years.

Species Interaction

Sixband Angelfish: A Reef Showpiece and Aquarium Prize

Snorkelling & Diving
Aquarium
Research & Rare Encounters
Ecosystem Role

The Sixband Angelfish is best known to two groups: divers who encounter it on Indo-Pacific and Great Barrier Reef slopes, and aquarists who prize it as one of the more striking large angelfish available in the trade. Juveniles are collected commercially for the aquarium industry, though the species is considered difficult to keep and demanding in captivity. Survey divers record it regularly across its range, making it a useful indicator species for reef monitoring programs.

Species
Sustainability

Scientific Classification

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

Conservation Status

The Sixband Angelfish is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with populations considered stable across its wide Indo-Pacific range. No listing exists under Australia’s EPBC Act. Reef Life Survey records it as common across surveyed sites in Australian waters, and no significant fishery pressure applies to wild populations.