Majestic Angelfish

The Majestic Angelfish (Pomacanthus navarchus), also called the blue-girdled angelfish, is a strikingly patterned marine angelfish from the western Pacific. Adults combine a bright orange upper body, a deep blue lower body, curved blue-edged dark bands, and a yellow tail, producing one of the boldest colour schemes among angelfish. Juveniles are dark blue with white and blue bars, transforming as they mature. It is a reef-associated omnivore and a prized, if delicate, aquarium species. The large marine angelfish (genus Pomacanthus) are among the most spectacular reef fishes.

Recognize the Majestic Angelfish by:

• A bright orange upper body crossed by electric-blue-edged dark bands.
• A deep blue lower body and belly.
• A yellow tail and blue-lined face.
• Deep, disc-shaped angelfish body, ~25-28 cm.

The orange-over-blue two-tone body with blue-edged bands is distinctive among angelfish.

Majestic Angelfish inhabit coral-rich reefs, lagoons, and sheltered slopes from about 3 to 40 m in the western Pacific, from Indonesia and the Philippines to the Great Barrier Reef and nearby islands. They favour areas with abundant live coral, caves, and ledges that provide shelter.

Majestic Angelfish are diurnal omnivores, feeding on sponges, tunicates, algae, and small invertebrates on the reef. They are usually seen singly or in pairs, staying near caves and coral for cover, and can be shy. Like other large angelfish they are protogynous hermaphrodites; juveniles differ markedly from adults, and pairs spawn by rising into the water column to release eggs.