Pomacanthus chrysurus

(Cuvier, 1831)

Earspot Angelfish, Chrysurus Angelfish, Goldtail Angelfish

Range: Western Indian Ocean: Gulf of Aden, Maldives, and Sri Lanka to the Indo-Malayan Archipelago.

Size: 12 inches (30 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits coastal coral rich reefs mainly at depths of 3 to 100 feet (1 – 30 m). Adults feed primarily on sponges, tunicates, crustaceans, and zooplankton, and juveniles, who generally inhabit very shallow waters, include abundant amounts of algae in their diet.

General Husbandry: The juveniles and adults in this species, which are seldom seen in the hobby, are quite pretty and actually quite similar in appearance. As for the juvenile, its body is blackish brown, with numerous white vertical bars, a tannish face having thin blue irregular lines, and a yellow tail, which is actually clear until it begins to reach about 4 inches (10 cm) in length and has a white vertical band at its base (peduncle). It also has a black spot on the upper portion of the frontal body, which carries through into adulthood, hence the common name for this species, Earspot Angelfish. As for the adult, its quite similar in appearance except the face area is darker and it does not have the white vertical band at the base of the tail.

When first introduced into the aquarium, preferably a well-established fish-only aquarium with lots of live rock and cave areas, adults or juveniles should be offered numerous daily feedings so as to quickly acclimate it to its surroundings. Like many others in this genus, their captive diet should consist of a wide variety of frozen foods including fortified brine shrimp, mysis, and especially those containing sponge matter/angelfish food preparations and continued to be offered at least several times daily after its acclimated to its surroundings. Furthermore, flake foods, and especially those containing Spirulina should also be offered.

Depending upon its tankmates, juveniles may be somewhat shy when first entering the aquarium, and may hide in caves and crevices. But as time passes, will become more outgoing and begin to establish its territory. As for adults, those in this genus are considered almost as feisty as those in the Holacanthus genus, nevertheless, it all depends on aquarium size and tankmates, but its preferable it is the last angelfish to be added to the aquarium.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Percoidei

Family: Pomacanthidae

Genus: Pomacanthus

FYI: Keeping more than one genus of angelfishes in the same aquarium is possible, yet depends upon several aspects. The following suggested circumstances are just that, possibilities that when heeded and adjusted to actual aquarium conditions ‘may’ make multiple angelfish collections feasible.

Aquarium size – the larger the better.

Species from the same genus should not be in the same aquarium.

The smallest and most docile genus species should be the first introduced with the largest and most malicious the last to be added.

Do not place similar coloration species in the same aquarium.

Those already in the aquarium should be well fed before adding a newcomer.

Have sufficient hiding places/rocky caves.

Do not overfeed meaty foods, especially juveniles, as it may lead to a fatty deposit around the liver that could stop production of vitamin A. This could cause blindness, often referred to as nutritional blindness.

Keep in mind all angels have cheekspines at the edge of their gill cover; therefore use caution when handling and also avoid using a net to capture it, as it may become stuck or tangled in the net and become damaged when removed.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Semi-aggressive

Diet: Omnivore

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Fish-only and Reef Aquariums (See Below)

Reef Safe: Juveniles – Yes/Adults - No - will nip clam mantles, large and small polyped stony (LPS/SPS) corals, and also some soft corals and tubeworms.

Minimum Tank Size: 125 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 80°F (22 – 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5