King AngelfishPasser AngelfishFamily: Pomacanthidae Holacanthus passerPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David BroughLatest Reader Comment - See More I had a king angelfish for 27 years and I can say they are the most colorful fish I had every seen. chris The King Angelfish is a fish that looks completely different as an adult than it does as a juvenile!The King Angelfish Holacanthus passer as an adult (shown above) has a totally different color pattern than it has as a youth (see below).This is a trait found in all 7 species of Holacanthus angelfish. This is also true of the Pomacanthus genus of angelfish, as an example see the French Angelfish Pomacanthus paru. The King Angelfish is a very hardy aquarium inhabitant, but like so many angelfish, it can get quite belligerent. So aquarist feel this fellow is actually the most aggressive of all angelfish. It needs to be kept singly and a minimum sized tank of at least 60 gallons is suggested. It can also be kept in a large community tank of 135 gallons or more. Tank mates do need to be active, as sedentary or passive fish will get picked on. For more Information on keeping saltwater fish see: |
|
Maintenance difficulty: The King Angelfish is moderately difficult to keep.
Diseases that saltwater angelfish are susceptible to:
Maintenance: This angelfish survives on sponges so make sure you can get an angel formula with sponge in it. It is important that you feed angelfish all kinds of live, frozen, and prepared formula foods. Best to feed small amounts several times a day. A good formula that can be made at home consists of mussels, shrimp, squid, and spinach.
Habitat: Natural geographic location: The King Angelfish Holacanthus passer are found in reef areas of the Eastern Pacific: Gulf of California to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands. Found at depths from 4 to 30 meters.
Natural Foods: The King Angelfish are omnivores. Eats sponges, tunicates and other benthic invertebrates, and a small amount of algae. These fish act as cleaner fish, eating external parasites, from hammerhead sharks!.
Social Behaviors: Found singly in pairs, or groups. In the aquarium they become aggressive towards their own species so you should keep only one per aquarium.
Description:The adult King Angelfish is a dark brown overall with a green or blue cast, a large white stripe just behind the pelvic fin, a 'crown' with brignt blue spots on its forehead, and a yellow or orangish tail fin. The juvenile is more colorful with blue-white stripes on a light orange background. On adult females the pelvic fins are yellow while the males are white. Males are also larger than females.
Light: Recommended light levels: No special requirements.
Breeding/Reproduction: Not accomplished in captivity. See Marine Fish Breeding for a description of how they reproduce in the wild.
![]() King Angelfish (juvenile) Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Hiroyuki Tanaka |
Temperature: No special requirements. Normal temperatures for marine fish lies between 75 and 79 degrees.
Length/Diameter of fish: King Angelfish adults can grow to 25 cm (9.84 inches).
Minimum Tank Length/Size: A minimum 60 gallon aquarium is recommended.
Water Movement: Weak, Moderate, Strong No special requirements.
Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom No special requirements.
Availability: This fish is generally rarely available and is expensive.
![]() |
|
|
|||||
|
International Index Pages |
|||||
| Join Dr. Jungle on Facebook - People Talking About Their Pets | |||||