General information - Queen Angelfish is one of the most beautiful

reef fish in the ocean. Queen Angelfish inhabit reefs and are common

near Florida, the Bahamas, and the Gulf of Mexico. Queen Angelfish

(holacanthus ciliaris) are found thug out the world in tropical, subtropical

and warm temperate marine waters and are normally found in pairs in

the wild. Queen Angelfish has Blue to greenish-blue ovoid body with

yellow edging to mid and posterior scales. Fins are yellow in color.

Face is yellow while the mouth is blue in color. Distinctive dark blue

oscillated spot found on its forehead. Queen Angelfish live in Harems;

that is, many females cater to one male. Juveniles have been known to

clean other fish of external parasites. Juveniles have dark blue bodies

with yellow lips, gills, and tail and vertical bars ranging in color from light

blue to white. In nature uveniles serve as "cleaners" and feed on the

parasites of larger fish at cleaning stations. Queen Angels can breed

with Blue Angels to produce a hybrid called a Townsend. Angel Queen

angelfish often observes divers from a short distance. 

Common Name - Queen Angelfish 

Scientific Name - Holacanthus ciliaris 

Family - Pomacanthidae

Photo by: Itay Sade

Origin - Atlantic Ocean, Florida, Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico 

Size - Up to 18 in (45 cm) 

First discovered – Linnaeus, 1758 

Nutrition – Omnivore, in nature the Queen Angelfish feed on sponges and algae and will also

nibble on sea fans and soft corals. In captivity it should be fed a diet high in algae and sponge along

with a variety of meaty foods mixed in. 

Behavior - They can be aggressive with other angelfish, especially other queen angelfish 

Maintenance and care - Queen Angelfish need 200 gallon (757 liters) minimum tank size and they can

sometimes be difficult to feed. Queen angelfish will often succumb to disease and starvation and ultimately

die otherwise. This species is not recommended for the marine reef aquarium as it will pick at a variety of

corals and will devour ornamental crustaceans. Obviously, given the large potential size of this fish as an

adult you'll want to avoid keeping it with smaller species.     

Water Parameters - 72F - 76F (22C - 24C), PH: 8.1 - 8.4, Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.025DKH: 8-12 

Breeding – Queen Angels are not successfully bred in captivity.