Regal Angelfish
Scientific Name : Pygoplites Diacanthus
Origin : Red Sea, Fiji, Indo-Pacific
Temperament : Semi-Aggressive
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 11 Inches
Diet : Omnivore
Difficulty : Hard
Reef Safe : With Caution
Tank Size : 100 Gallons
The Regal Angelfish is considered by some enthusiasts to be one of the most exquisite large angels in the market. It is also one of the hardest to rear in captivity.
The scientific name given to this beauty is Pygoplites Diacanthus. It is the only member of the genus Pygoplites. The regal angelfish has a full bright yellow body with vertical white streaks that are outlined by blue.
Like all members of the large angelfish group, juveniles wear a distinctly different color pattern than adults. Juveniles lack blue coloration and are mostly seen with yellow and white with a distinctive spot near the tail.
They have been known to surpass a foot in length in the wild. In captivity however, they usually achieve a maximum length of about twelve inches.
They can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific, Fiji and some locations in Africa. Specimens collected from the Phillipines and Indonesia do not tend to fare too well in captivity and usually have a high mortality rate. This may have something to fo with collection practices.
In the wild they are grazers that feed exclusivey on tunicates and sponges. This is the primary reason why Regal Angelfish fare poorly in captivity. They are difficult feeders that usually starve to death over a period of time. They should be offered a good mix of seafood, marine algae and especially sponges daily if possible.
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.
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. The regal angelfish is the most stunning and highly regarded large angelfish by hobbyists. Unfortunately, their high mortality rate in captivity does put off many enthusiasts.
Back to Pomacanthus-Holacanthus, Home.
