Sixbar Angelfish

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Broadly distributed in the tropical Indo-Pacific, from Indonesia, Philippines, and Solomon Islands to northern Australia and the Great Barrier Reef. Inhabits silty lagoons and outer reef slopes down to 40 meters.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Pomacanthidae. Features a deep, compressed body with a sharp opercular spine. Can reach a maximum length of 46 cm.

Social Behavior: Solitary or in pairs. Shy but highly territorial. Adults produce a loud clicking/grunt warning sound when startled or defending territory.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Pale yellowish-brown body with 6 vertical black bars. Head is dark with a white vertical bar behind the eye. Juveniles are dark blue with vertical white and blue stripes. No sexual dimorphism.

Aquarium Setup: Requires a massive tank of at least 1000 liters. Rockwork must be stable and leave open swimming paths. Good water flow is required.

Diet and Feeding: Omnivorous. Wild diet consists mainly of sponges, tunicates, and algae. Accepts frozen mysis, krill, chopped seafood, and sponge-based angelfish formulas.

Water Quality: Maintain stable values: temperature 24-28 °C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity SG 1.020-1.025. Heavy protein skimming and regular water changes are required.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Not Reef Safe. Will prey on corals, anemones, and clams. Best kept in a large fish-only setup with active, robust species.

Aquarium Breeding: Broadcast pelagic spawners. No captive breeding records exist in home aquaria due to space and larval feeding limitations.

Risks and Diseases: Susceptible to Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE) without sponge-rich nutrition. Prone to skin parasites under stressful conditions.