Imperator Angelfish – Juvenile – Philippines

Pomacanthus imperator

Angelfish come in a large array of colors, patterns and sizes that make them very sought-after. Unlike Centropyge angels, this genus is known for having large adult sizes. The Imperator Angel is a beautiful fish that will be the highlight of your display, but they do require some specific care. This fish can be shy at first especially during acclimation, so providing a lot of hiding places will help reduce its stress. Because their natural diet is so varied, aquarists should always feed a diet that is similarly well rounded; it further means they are unsuitable for most “captive reef” style aquariums. In the wild, they generally feed on a wide variety of algae, sponges, tunicates and other benthic organisms. Their natural diet also includes nipping on corals, so the Imperator is not considered reef safe. They will grow to be about a foot in size and will need an aquarium of about 220 gallons when they are fully grown. Like other Angelfish in this genus, the Imperator will go through a color morph from juveniles to adults. Juveniles are black with white and blue circular/stripes. Adults are blue in color with bright vibrant yellow stripes. They also sport bluish mask over its eyes. The Imperator Angel are found in the Indo-Pacific inhabiting ledges and caves in areas of rich corals on clear lagoons and seaward reefs up to 100 meters deep.