Care Level: Advanced
Temperament: Semi-Aggressive
Reef Compatible: With Caution
General Description: The Regal Angelfish, also sometimes called the Royal Angelfish, exhibits vivid vertical stripes of blue, white, yellow, or orange on the body and pelvic fin. Widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific. The species can be found in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean around East Africa and the Maldives, stretching to the Tuamoto Islands, New Caledonia, and Great Barrier Reef. The northernmost limits of its range ends in the southern East China Sea around Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands and Ogasawara Islands of Japan. Specimens from the Maldives and the Red Sea have a distinctive yellow breast, where their Indo-Pacific, Coral Sea, New Caledonia and Tahitian relatives normally have a blue/gray breast. This coloration is more prevalent in specimens that are more mature and are at least 5″ in length. Juveniles will have a “False Eye Spot” on their dorsal fins that fades and the fish matures. Adult size is approximately 10 inches in length.
Diet Requirements: A primarily carnivorous species, offer a diet of fresh shrimp and chopped meaty seafood enriched with vitamins. The diet should also include some herbivore preparations which include Spirulina, Chlorella, and marine sheet algae, and angelfish preparations containing sponges.
Care Requirements: A species best left to the advanced or expert aquarrist. A minimum of a 125 gallon tank with plenty of hiding places and live rock for grazing will offer a good environment. The Regal Angelfish is more difficult to maintain than other species of angels so it should be introduced first so that it may stake out its territory in advance of other fish. The Regal Angelfish may nip at large-polyped stony corals, soft coral and clams, but may be kept with small-polyped stony corals and some more toxic soft corals. Use caution and monitor them closely in a reef aquarium. Recommended water conditions, 72-78° F, KH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.020-1.025.
Purchase Size: Adult Medium: 3″ to 4-1/2″; Large: 4-3/4″ to 5-1/2″
Note: Your item may not look identical to the image provided due to variation within species. Purchase size is approximate.Â
