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Yellowtail Angelfish

Yellowtail Angelfish

Chaetodontoplus personifer

Quick Facts

Scientific nameChaetodontoplus personifer

Other namesBlueface Angelfish, Personifer Angelfish, Spottedface Angelfish, Yellowface Angelfish

SizeUp to 35 cm (14 in)

WeightUp to a kilo (2.2lb)

FamilyAngelfish / Pomacanthidae

Distribution

Habitat & AU DistributionRocky areas, flat bottom sponge gardens and coral reefs

The Yellowtail Angelfish is a striking reef fish found only in north-western Australia, making it one of the more exclusive angelfishes in Australian waters.
Its body is dark brown to black, with a broad white bar just behind the head and a bluish-grey face covered in yellow spots. The nape, breast and pelvic fins are yellow, and the tail is yellow with a distinctive black band across the middle.
That black band on the tail is one of the clearest ways to tell this species apart from its close eastern relative, the Queensland Yellowtail Angelfish. The two were confused for many years before being recognised as separate species.
Juveniles look a little different from adults. Small fish lack the black band on the tail, and they are often found sheltering among sponges beneath jetties and in shallow protected areas.
As they grow, Yellowtail Angelfish tend to move into deeper water and more exposed reef habitat. Adults are usually seen on inshore coastal reefs and rocky or sponge-covered outcrops.
The Yellowtail Angelfish ranges from the Abrolhos Islands in Western Australia north to the Arafura Sea off the Northern Territory. It is usually found at depths of around 8 to 40 metres.
Yellowtail Angelfish feed mostly on sponges and other animals attached to the reef. This kind of diet is common among angelfishes, and it ties them closely to healthy reef systems.
Adults are usually seen alone or in small groups. They are not a schooling fish, and a pair moving slowly across a reef is a typical sighting.
When spawning, Yellowtail Angelfish release eggs and sperm into the water column, where fertilisation occurs and the tiny developing eggs are carried away from the reef by the currents.
Male Yellowtail Angelfish develop yellow spots on a blue face, while females tend to have a plainer grey-blue face. This difference in colouring between the sexes is seen across the wider angelfish group.
The Yellowtail Angelfish lives only in north-western Australia and nowhere else in the world. That makes every healthy local population particularly important.
They do not have a firmly established maximum age, but a practical estimate is around 10–15 years, with some individuals potentially living longer in favourable conditions.

Species Interaction

Yellowtail Angelfish: A Collector's Prize from North-West Reefs

Aquarium
Snorkelling & Diving
Research & Rare Encounters

The Yellowtail Angelfish is best known to the aquarium trade, collected commercially from its range across north-west Australian reefs and the Arafura Sea. Its striking colouration makes it a sought-after display fish. Divers and snorkellers encounter it on inshore coastal reefs, sponge outcrops and coral-covered rock from the Abrolhos Islands to the Northern Territory, though its naturally solitary habits mean sightings are far from guaranteed.

Species
Sustainability

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Teleostei
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Pomacanthidae
Genus: Chaetodontoplus
Species: Chaetodontoplus personifer

Conservation Status

The Yellowtail Angelfish is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Endemic to Australia, it is primarily traded as an aquarium fish rather than targeted by commercial fisheries. No EPBC listing applies, and the species faces no documented population-level threats at this time.