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Interesting Facts about the Arabian Angelfish
[Phylum: Chordata] [Class: Actinopterygii] [Order: Perciformes] [Family: Pomacanthidae (angelfishes)]
Some enthusiastic aquarists have successfully bred the asfur angelfish in captivity, mainly for the distinctive body colouring and unusual patterns.
This page contains fun facts and interesting information about the Arabian angelfish (Pomacanthus asfur), such as where to find them, what they eat, and how they reproduce.
Where Do Arabian Angelfish Live in the Wild
Angelfishes and butterflyfishes rank among the most conspicuous of all ray-finned vertebrate creatures that inhabit coral reef formations, such as atolls and inshore reefs.
As a result, more than eighty marine angelfish species thrive in various saltwater environments around the world.
The biggest angelfishes spend most of their lives around shallow corals above 20 metres (66 feet) and at sunken shipwrecks.
Most Perciformes are quite bold in their natural habitat, and often swim close to scuba divers and skin divers.
The Arabian angelfish (scientific name Pomacanthus asfur) is a native species of the Red Sea and some regions in the Gulf of Aden.
But, you can also find them along the coastal areas of the western Indian Ocean, especially East Africa, including Somalia and even as far south as Tanzania.
They tend to inhabit coral and rocky reef environments between depths of five (5) and fifty (50) metres (down to 160 feet). In actual fact, scuba divers often spot the Asfur angelfish swimming near reef slopes and underwater ledges.
Pro Tip: To the untrained eye, the body colouring of the Arabian angelfish closely resembles that of the Yellowbar angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosus).
Arabian Angelfish Description
Despite being closely related to butterflyfish (family Chaetodontidae), ocean angelfish have stronger facial support from preopercle bones. These robust "boomerang-shaped" structures are gill covers that help them to breathe and feed.
Almost all angelfishes are a hardy and bold species when swimming around the reef. But, they become more timid and seek shelter in rocky crevices when darkness falls.
Here's the thing:
The standout features of the Arabian angelfish are the bold colouration and distinctive yellow stripe in the middle of its body and completely covering its tail.
As an adult, the colours become more pronounced and a lot bolder. The indigo blue coloured head contrasts with the dark blue body and yellow caudal fin.
The laterally compressed body shape is typical of almost all types of saltwater angelfish.
After reaching full maturity, Pomacanthus asfur can grow to forty (40) centimetres long (16 inches). Still, that's quite a bit smaller than the gray angelfish (Pomacanthus arcuatus) which can grow up to sixty (60) centimetres long (24 inches).
Pro Tip: As a juvenile, Pomacanthus asfur have different patterns and colours than the adults. As they develop and mature, the white and blue bands of the juveniles start to transition into the distinct blue body with yellow markings.
What Do Arabian Angelfish Eat?
Being a typical omnivore means Arabian angelfish feed on marine algae (e.g. nori seaweed) and zooplankton. But, they also get nutrients from sea sponges, coral polyps, and sea squirts (tunicates).
How Do Angelfish (Pomacanthidae) Reproduce?
A pronounced shift in colouration combines with maturity and social ranking for many of the angelfish phylum. Put another way, the characteristics of juvenile angelfishes see a dramatic change and colour shift as they develop into adulthood.
Arabian angelfish are protogynous hermaphrodites, which means females can change their gender and become a functional male if the dominant male dies or is removed from the harem.
But wait - there's more:
Angelfishes are pelagic spawners. Hence, they release between 150 and one thousand miniscule buoyant eggs into the water column.
The eggs float around with plankton in ocean currents until they hatch. As a consequence of that, most of them fall victim to a range of planktonic feeders, such as large marine mammals.
Threats and Predators
Saltwater angelfish have several natural predators, especially barracudas, groupers, large open ocean fishes, and most of the shark phylum.
Pro Tip: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species last assessed many of the angelfish phylum in 2009. They cited the Arabian angelfish (Pomacanthus asfur) as being of "Least Concern" (LC) with a "stable" population trend.