Emperor Angelfish
Scientific Name : Pomacanthus Imperator
Origin : Red Sea, Indo-Pacific Ocean
Temperament : Semi-Aggressive
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 16 Inches
Diet : Omnivore
Difficulty : Medium
Reef Safe : No
Tank Size : 150 Gallons
The Emperor angelfish is a stunning fish that is among three very popular large angelfish. The other two members that are a favorite in this hobby are the Queen Angelfish and the French Angelfish. Their are given the scientific name, Pomacanthus Imperator.
Like most larger angels, their juvenile forms are very different from that of the adults. Emperor angelfish have one of the more beautiful juvenile forms as they have concentric while circles all across their dark blue bodies.
Also like most large angelfish juveniles, they act as cleaners in the wild but will quickly lose this behavior as they mature. A video of this cleaning behavior is available below and can be seen in captivity. As adults, the emperor angelfish is breathtaking. Its color patterns are some of the most recognizable in the marine aquarium hobby. Bright yellow lines streak across a dark blue or purple body and it wears a dark blue mask across its eyes that this fish is known for.
While small juveniles are reasonably priced at around $60 to $70 for a specimen, mature adults of show size quality can be very expensive. While they usually can fetch $200 for a nice specimen, prices approaching $400 for fully mature adults have not been unheard of. A pricey fish. While they leave other species alone most of the time, they are definitely aggressive towards conspecifics.
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.
Emperor angelfish are quite big and can reach lengths of 16 inches in the wild. However, expect a length of about 12 to 13 inches in captivity for most specimens. While they will be very comfortable in a 250 gallon or larger aquarium, the minimum requirement is a 150 gallon.
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.
Emperor angelfish are one of the most recognizable angels among the giants in the family. Their price reflects this fact and they are a constant favorite among those with fish only aquariums. They cost a pretty penny and can be aggressive towards other angelfish.
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