Lamarck's angelfish

Geographic Origin and Biotope: Indo-West Pacific: from East Africa and Indonesia to the Solomon Islands, north to southern Japan. Found in deep lagoons and seaward reefs.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the Pomacanthidae family. Possesses a lyretail caudal fin structure typical of the Genicanthus genus. Grows up to 25 cm (10 inches).

Social Behavior: Peaceful, active open-water swimmer. Naturally occurs in loose groups or harems led by a single dominant male.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Silver body with multiple dark horizontal stripes. Females have white pelvic fins and a prominent black band on the tail, while males have black pelvic fins.

Aquarium Setup: Minimum tank size of 500 liters (125 gallons) with plenty of open swimming space. Must be housed in a tightly covered aquarium due to jump risks.

Diet and Feeding: Planktivorous. Feeds on zooplankton in the water column. Feed a varied diet of frozen mysis, brine shrimp, lobster eggs, and high-quality pellets several times daily.

Water Quality: Requires stable marine parameters: temperature 22-26°C (72-79°F), pH 8.1-8.4, specific gravity 1.020-1.025, and KH 8-12. Strong current is essential.

Compatibility and Tankmates: 100% reef safe. Does not harm corals, clams, or ornamental invertebrates. Can be kept in groups if introduced together as females.

Aquarium Reproduction: Protogynous hermaphrodite. No successful domestic breeding reports due to vertical spawning space and complex pelagic larval phases.

Risks and Diseases: High jump risk if startled. Hardy once acclimated, but requires regular feedings to maintain body weight and health.