Rock beauty angelfish

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Tropical Western Atlantic: from Georgia and Bermuda to southern Brazil, including the Caribbean Sea. Inhabits coral and rocky reefs from 3 to 90 meters.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the Pomacanthidae family. Deep, oval-shaped body with a preopercular cheek spine. Grows to 25 cm (10 inches).

Social Behavior: Solitary and highly territorial as an adult. Fiercely defends territories rich in marine sponges which form its principal food.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Front of the body and tail are lemon yellow; the mid-to-rear body is jet black. Fins are trimmed in orange-red. No sexual dimorphism.

Aquarium Setup: Minimum tank volume of 450 liters (120 gallons) with established live rock configurations that foster natural sponge and microalgae growth.

Diet and Feeding: Extremely difficult. Requires a high-percentage sponge diet. Feed specialized commercial angelfish foods containing sponge material. Supplement with nori and frozen mysis.

Water Quality: Demands pristine, highly-oxygenated water: temperature 24-27°C (75-81°F), pH 8.1-8.4, specific gravity 1.020-1.025, and KH 8-12. Strong current preferred.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Not reef safe. Will systematically nip at stony and soft corals and clam mantles. Introduce last to the tank. Keep as the sole angelfish.

Aquarium Breeding: Unreported in domestic setups due to open-water spawning rituals and long pelagic larval development.

Risks and Diseases: High mortality rates in captivity if diet lacks sponges. Highly susceptible to marine ich and skin parasites under stress.