Majestic Angelfish
Scientific Name : Pomacanthus Navarchus
Origin : Indo-Pacific Ocean
Temperament : Largely Peaceful
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 12 Inches
Diet : Omnivore
Difficulty : Medium
Reef Safe : With Caution
Tank Size : 100 Gallons
The Majestic Angelfish is another brilliantly colored member of the angelfish family. It also goes by the common name, Blue Girdled Angelfish alluding to its blue gridle on its body.
Its scientific name is Pomacanthus Navarchus and they are found throughout the Indo-Pacific oceans as well as Solomon islands. Considered a common large angelfish, they nevertheless command high prices. Juveniles can be purchased for as little as $80-$100 while adults usually fetch much more.
Like all members of the large angelfish group, juveniles wear a distinctly different color pattern than adults. Juveniles are the usual blue, black and white. But their true colors will start showing themselves as soon as they achieve a length of about three inches.
From that point onwards, their adult coloration will begin to emerge. Adults are very beautiful with a main orange or yellow on its mid body and tail. Also present on this patch are numerous blue dots that are wrapped up in a girdle of sorts. Hence, their nickname, the blue girdled angelfish.
While they can achieve a length of 12 inches in captivity, this size is particularly rare with the majestic angelfish. Because of this, they are known as one of the smaller species among large angelfish families. They are also one of the least aggressive within this group and usually only show hostility towards other fishes of the same species.
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.
Despite the fact that majestic angelfish are one of the smaller species on the market, they still require ample space that is demanded by all large angels. Aim for an aquarium not smaller than a 100 gallons to be on the safe side. Bigger aquariums are always better with these fish.
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. Overall, majestic angelfish are stunning in coloration. Combine this fact with their usually docile nature and they make a very good addition to the aquarium.
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