Threespot Angelfish
Apolemichthys Trimaculatus
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Quick Facts
Distribution
- The Threespot Angelfish is a vivid, deep-bodied reef fish that can grow to about 26 cm long. Its bright yellow body and startling blue lips make it one of the more eye-catching angelfish on Australian reefs.
- The name comes from three dark markings on the body: a black spot on the forehead, a faint spot just behind the gill cover, and a broad black border along the lower fin. Together they give the fish a pattern unlike any other angelfish in the region.
- In Australia, it turns up along the north-western coast of Western Australia, including Ningaloo Reef and the Rowley Shoals. It is also found along the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland.
- Its range stretches far beyond Australia, from East Africa and the Persian Gulf across the warm Indo-Pacific, north to southern Japan and east to Samoa.
- Adults live on coral reefs, mostly on outer reef slopes and steep drop-offs. They also move into lagoons and shallower reef areas from time to time.
- Adults are usually seen alone or in pairs, though small loose groups do form. They tend to stay at moderate depths, typically between 10 and 60 m.
- The Threespot Angelfish feeds mainly on sponges and sea squirts, animals that many other reef fish ignore entirely. This diet may help it avoid competing directly with other species on the reef.
- Juveniles look quite different from adults. Young fish have a narrow black band running through the eye and a series of golden bars along the side, with no spots around the head.
- Young fish are shy and tend to stay hidden in reef crevices. They are usually found deeper than 25 m, well out of the busiest part of the reef.
- As juveniles grow, the banded pattern fades and the vivid yellow colouring of the adult gradually takes over. The blue lips and dark spots develop as the fish matures.
- Threespot Angelfish reproduce by releasing eggs and sperm into the water, where fertilisation takes place. The eggs are then carried away from the reef to develop without parental care.
Species Interaction
Threespot Angelfish: A Reef Jewel in Tanks and on Dives
- Aquarium
- Commercial Harvest
- Snorkelling & Diving
- Research & Rare Encounters
The Threespot Angelfish is best known to people through the aquarium trade, where its vivid yellow body and blue lips make it a sought-after species for experienced marine hobbyists. It is also collected in minor commercial fisheries across its Indo-Pacific range. For divers and snorkellers visiting sites such as Ningaloo Reef and the Rowley Shoals, spotting one on an outer reef slope or drop-off is a quiet highlight of any reef dive.
Scientific Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Teleostei
- Order: Acanthuriformes
- Family: Pomacanthidae
- Genus: Apolemichthys
- Species: Apolemichthys trimaculatus
Conservation Status
The Threespot Angelfish is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, assessed in October 2009. Its wide Indo-Pacific distribution, including reef habitats along the Australian coast from Western Australia to Queensland, supports a broadly stable outlook. No Australian EPBC listing applies to this species.
Interaction Highlights
Aquarium
Requires a large tank and experience; not considered reef safe with corals.
Commercial
Collected for the marine aquarium trade across its Indo-Pacific range.
Diving
Found on outer reef slopes at Ningaloo and the Rowley Shoals, Western Australia.
Threespot Angelfish
As Aquarium Fish
Care Level: Difficult
Temperament: Semi-Aggressive
Diet: Omnivore
Reef Compatible: No
Minimum Tank Size: 150 gallons
Recreational Viewing
- Snorkeling & Scuba
Finding: Intermediate
Temperament: Shy
Location: Outer Reef, Inner Reef, Lagoon
Danger: None
