French Angelfish
Scientific Name : Pomacanthus Paru
Origin : Carribean, Western Atlantic Ocean
Temperament : Semi-Aggressive
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 16 Inches
Diet : Omnivore
Difficulty : Medium
Reef Safe : No
Tank Size : 50 Gallons
The French angelfish is one of three very popular large angelfish in the marine aquarium hobby. The other two are made up of the Emperor angelfish and the Queen angelfish. Its scientific name is Pomacanthus Paru.
There are a common sight throughout the Caribbean Ocean all the way up to Florida. Scuba divers have had many encounters with these curious giants and they are normally found alone or in pairs.
The juvenile form of the French angelfish is thought to be the most beautiful juvenile form of any angelfish. Juveniles are entirely jet black with bright yellow vertical stripes lining their bodies. This pattern is further accentuated with the presence of electric blue on its fins.
As adults, they generally a dark gray with flecks of gold and yellow throughout its main body. It is a very close cousin of the Gray angelfish and there can be some confusion between the two in terms of identification. They are both found in the same habitats and both the adult and juvenile form of both these angels are similar. Thankfully there is an easy way to tell them apart. Adult Gray angelfish lack the yellow flecks present on the French angelfish. Furthermore, if you were to study their caudal fin, you will notice that the french has a rounded caudal fin while the one found on Grays are straight.
Juveniles fetch up to $90 on the market for a specimen. Fully mature adults of show size quality are much more expensive and can cost $200 or more for a specimen in good shape and nice coloration. French angelfish are also known for their freindly disposition in captivity. They are bold and are always the first to greet you upon sight. This behavior is one of the reasons why so many are a fan of the French angelfish.
Large angels are not considered reef safe and can quickly consume your corals in the marine aquarium. Of course, there is always an exception to this rule. This is why most larger angels are kept in fish only marine aquariums and not in reef aquariums.
In the wild they are grazers that will feed on sponges, corals, polyps and algae. In captivity, they will feed on a wide variety fo foods that are both meaty and vegetable based. Ensure they are given a balanced diet.
Larger angelfish species are known coralivores and can consume sponges, tunicates along with algae. As this is their natural diet in the wild, we should try to emulate it within reason. Feeding them corals or tunicates on a consisten basis is unreasonable. Thankfully, most of them accept prepared foods willingly.
A good mix of meaty and vegetable matter is essential to the overall health of dwarf angels. Some other good foods to feed daily are * Sea Veggies Seaweed, which are nutritious seaweed for grazers. Prime Reef * Flake Food which is a blend of numerous seafood and algae such as seaweed, lobster meat, salmon, shrimp, squid and zooplankton.
The best dry pellet foods on the market come from the highly reputable makers, * New Life Spectrum. Use a * Seaweed Clip when feeding them seaweed sheets. Simply take a sheet, fold it and clip it. Secure the clip to the aquarium glass in a location of your choice and they should graze on it throughout the day. Centropyge species can nip on corals so be warned.
At 16 inches, the French angelfish is a big fish that needs a lot of swimming room. Nothing less than 150 gallons is required. If you cannot provide an aquarium of this size for it then it may be better to pass up on this fish. Ideally, they need an aquarium that is 250 gallons or more.
Always quarantine your specimens to ensure they are disease and parasite free. From time to time you may come across 2 inch juveniles for sale at the marine store. Resist the temptation to buy them if you do not have a large enough aquarium.
While adult French angelfish are not as pretty as some other large angels, they nevertheless have quite a following among angel lovers and are a definite addition to their aquariums.
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