ANGELFISH
Clarion angelfish | Arabian angelfish | Queen angelfish | Emperor angelfish | Blue-ringed angelfish

Angelfish image gallery...

	Angelfish encounters...

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

All about angelfish...

The angelfish most divers see tend to be larger marine species from the Holocanthus and Pomocanthus groups rather than dwarf angels from the Centropyge group. The most important or defining feature of marine angelfish 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 angelfish are easily confused with butterflyfish as they have a similar shape, but spot that thorn and you know you’re looking at an angelfish.

Angelfish encounters...

LOCATION: Grenada
DIVE SITE: Happy Valley
DEPTH: 12 metres
SPECIES: Pomacanthus paru
COMMON NAME: French angelfish

IMAGE
Intemediate stage French angelfish
DIVE LOG:
French angelfish are prolific on the dives around the edges of Grand Anse Bay and encountered on almost all dives. They are seen as very small juveniles through to adults at around 40 centimetres. The teenagers were very curious so fairly easy to photograph.