Angelfish image gallery...__

click on any image to enlarge Clarion angelfish Three-spot Semicircle angel Arabian angel Queen angel Blue-girdled Twin-spined French angelfish Juv. emperor Rock beauty Regal angel Int. Semicircle Blue-ringed Yellow-mask Emperor angel Int = intermediate | Juv = juvenile

About angelfish...__

Marine angelfish are from the family Pomacanthidae which contains seven genera and about 86 species. There are also freshwater angelfish or tropical cichlids (Pterophyllum) found in the Amazon. Equally beautiful, but not the same thing at all.

The angelfish most divers see tend to be larger marine species, from the Holocanthus and Pomocanthus groups, rather than dwarf angels ones from the Centropyge group. The most important or defining feature of marine angels is the distinct spine or thorn that forms part of their gill covers. This characteristic is how they earned their Greek name, Pomacanthidae meaning cover and akantha meaning thorn.

Other body features include small mouths, relatively large pectoral fins and rounded tail fins. Some, like Arabian angels, have streamer-like extensions of the soft dorsal and anal fins. The largest species is the grey angelfish at around 60 centimetres while dwarf angels only reach about 15 centimetres.

Smaller angels are easily confused with butterflyfish as they have a similar shape, but spot that thorn and you know you’re looking at an angel.

Angelfish encounters__