Yellowband Angelfish

Pomacanthus maculosus

Yellowband Angelfish

Pomacanthus maculosus

Other Common Names
Yellowbar Angelfish, Half-moon Angelfish

Connected Coasts

Other Common Names

Yellowbar Angelfish, Half-moon Angelfish

At the Aquarium

Connected Coasts

Appearance

Adult yellowband angelfish are violet-blue with a large yellow mark on the middle of its body. Scales on the forehead and above have dark edges. Dorsal and caudal fins have yellow patches with light blue markings. Males and females are similar in appearance.

Juveniles are dark blue with several white and light blue bars along the sides. Their caudal fin is transparent. Once they grow to about 6 cm the yellow markings begin to appear. Adult colors appear when these fish reach 10 to 15 cm.

Yellowband angelfish can grow up to 40 cm.

Habitat

Coral reefs, rocky areas and protected, silty bays with coral

Diet

Algae, sponges and invertebrates such as worms and molluscs

Life History

They live in groups with a haremic social system where one male defends a territory with 2-5 females. Yellowband angelfish have both male and female reproductive organs. The largest and socially dominant individuals become male to defend and control the harem. In the absence of a male, the largest female in the group will become male.

Reproduction occurs by releasing eggs and sperm into the water. Eggs are planktonic, meaning they float along ocean currents. After hatching, juveniles eventually settle onto reefs and develop into adults.

Maximum age is estimated to be 36 years.

IUCN Status

Least Concern

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

The yellowband angelfish is sometimes sold in local fish markets in Bahrain and Qatar.

Yellowband angelfish play an important role in the food chain, acting both as predator and prey.

Distributed around the Arabian Peninsula including the Red Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. Found as far south as Kenya on the East African coast.

This animal is not native to the Oregon Coast, however is found in the larger Pacific Ocean. It lives in the Aquarium as part of our Connected Coasts gallery.

The yellowband angelfish has been described as curious, rarely shying away from divers.

Citations & Other Resources

Myers, R. F. 1989. Micronesian reef fishes: a practical guide to the identification of the coral reef fishes of the tropical central and western Pacific. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Territory of Guam, U.S.A.

Pyle, R., L.A. Rocha & M.T. Craig. 2010. Pomacanthus maculosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010

Schofield, P.J. 2024. Pomacanthus maculosus (Forsskål, 1775): U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL, https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=2297

Samiei Zafarghandi, S., P. Nejatkhah Manavi, and S. M. Houshmand. 2013. Phylogenetic analysis of yellow-bar angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosus) of the Persian Gulf using cytochrome b sequences. Marine Biodiversity Records 6:n/a.

Yellowband Angelfish

Yellowband Angelfish

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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