French Angelfish

The French Angelfish is a magnificent large angelfish native to the Western Atlantic and Caribbean reefs. Adults are predominantly black with golden-yellow scale edging that creates an elegant, chain-link pattern across the entire body. The face is adorned with a pale gray-blue chin and a bright yellow ring around the eye, while the pectoral fins display a striking yellow bar at their base. This stately appearance makes the French Angelfish one of the most recognizable reef fish in the tropical Atlantic.

In the wild, French Angelfish are commonly found in pairs that may remain together for life, a relatively unusual trait among marine angelfish. They inhabit coral reefs, rocky outcrops, and adjacent seagrass beds at depths from 3 to 100 meters. Juveniles, which are jet black with bright yellow vertical bars, serve as cleaner fish on the reef, establishing cleaning stations where they remove parasites from larger fish species. Like the Emperor Angelfish, the juvenile and adult colorations are so different that they were historically described as separate species.

The French Angelfish is a demanding species that requires a very large aquarium of at least 250 gallons to thrive. Its robust adult size of up to 15 inches, combined with an active swimming nature and a strong inclination to graze on sponges, corals, and other sessile invertebrates, makes it completely unsuitable for reef aquariums. This species is best maintained in spacious fish-only systems with ample live rock for grazing and shelter. When properly cared for in an appropriately sized system, the French Angelfish is a hardy, long-lived, and impressively beautiful aquarium resident.