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Regal Angelfish

Fish · Least Concern

Regal Angelfish

Pygoplites diacanthus

About

Strikingly banded angelfish of coral-rich slopes and caves.

Family
Pomacanthidae
Avg size
25-30 cm
Habitat
The regal angelfish is broadly distributed across the Indo-Pacific. It occurs from the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean around East Africa and the Maldives eastward to the Tuamotu Islands, New Caledonia, and the Great Barrier Reef, with its northern limit reaching the southern East China Sea near Taiwan and Japan's Ryukyu and Ogasawara Islands.
Behaviour
Found at depths from the surface down to about 80 m (262 ft), it favours coral-rich lagoons and reefs and is often seen near caves. This carnivore feeds on sponges and tunicates growing across reefs and within caves. Non-migratory, it may live alone, in pairs, or in small groups, while juveniles tend to stay hidden in cracks and crevices.

Where & when

Where & When to See It

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