Emperor Angelfish

Emperor Angelfish
Pomacanthus imperator

The Emperor angelfish is one of the most colourful and majestic of all the angelfish found in the tropical and sub-tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They inhabit the coral reefs along the coastline and can be found as deep as 100m below the surface of the water.It boasts an impressive size of up to 40cm in length and may live for as long as 14 years. Angelfish are different to butterfly fish because they have a small spine under the operculum or the gill cover plate. The young are very differently coloured and were often regarded to be a different species until 1933 when they were found to be the juvenile form. The young transform into the adult colouration and patterning at approximately 4 years of age or in the range of 8cm – 12cm.