French Angelfish Identification Guide
How to recognize a French angelfish by its yellow-edged black scales and yellow-ringed eye.
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Key identification features
- Adults show a black to dark gray body with each scale edged in yellow, creating a glittery, scaled look
- Yellow ring around the eye and a yellow smudge at the pectoral fin base
- Rounded dorsal and anal fins that trail slightly behind the body, more pronounced than in the similar gray angelfish
- Juveniles are jet-black with vertical yellow bars, the bars curving near the tail
- Adults reach about 40 cm and are often seen singly or in pairs
Common look-alikes
- Gray angelfish adults are plainer gray overall without yellow scale edging, and have pale, whitish lips instead of the French angelfish's darker mouth
- Juvenile gray angelfish looks similar but its yellow bars stay straighter and don't curve near the tail the way French angelfish bars do
Where you'll see one
Found on coral reefs and rocky areas of the western Atlantic and Caribbean, from Florida to Brazil, typically at depths of 2-30 m near ledges and sponges.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell an adult French angelfish from a gray angelfish?
French angelfish has yellow-edged scales and a yellow eye ring giving a golden-flecked look, while gray angelfish is plainer gray with pale, whitish lips.
How do I distinguish juvenile French and gray angelfish?
Both are black with yellow bars, but French angelfish's bars curve near the tail while gray angelfish's bars stay straighter and don't reach as close to the tail base.