Gray Angelfish
Scientific Name : Pomacanthus Arcuatus
Origin : Carribean, Western Atlantic Ocean
Temperament : Semi-Aggressive
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 16 Inches
Diet : Omnivore
Difficulty : Medium
Reef Safe : No
Tank Size : 150 Gallons
The Gray Angelfish is a very close relative of the French angelfish. They are both very large angelfish that inhabit similar habitats that range from South America to Florida. They scientific label is Pomacanthus Arcuatus.
Along with its cousin, they are a common sight by scuba divers in the area and have been well documented as a result. Plenty of videos of the two by divers can be found on youtube.
The juvenile form of the Gray angelfish is one of 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.
To differentiate juveniles from both species, one must look at two areas. The yellow band that stretches from their foreheads and their caudal fins. The yellow stripe on gray angelfish juveniles ends near the mouth with those on the french continue to encircle the entire mouth. This may be hard to tell, thankfully there is an easier method. Juvenile and adult grays both have straight caudal fins while those on the french are rounded.
As adults, they are generally gray with flecks of dark gray throughout their main bodies.Much easier to differentiate as adults rather than as juveniles as mature French angels have yellow and gold flecks on their bodies. They are otherwise the same.
Generally a cheaper species than the French, expect to pay up to $50 for juveniles while mature adults can cost slightly more than $100 per specimen. 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.
Theger 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.
In the wild, the gray angelfish and its cousin can grow to immense sizes of up to two feet in length. However,they normally can attain a length of 16 inches in captivity. They need large aquariums no less than 150 gallons. If you can afford it, go for a 250 or even a 300 gallon aquarium as they need ample swimming space.
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 Gray 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.
Back to Pomacanthus-Holacanthus, Home.
