African Angelfish

(Holacanthus africanus)

Holacanthus Angelfish should be added to well established aquariums with plenty of room to swim. Plenty of rock work, caves, cracks and crevices should be provided for grazing and hiding. Holacanthus Angelfish may pick at sponge, tunicates, benthic organisms or sessile invertebrates. A diet of meaty and algae based foods should be provided. Care will need to be taken when handling Angelfish as they have cheekspines, avoid using nets when handling. Holacanthus Angelfish are hermaphroditic meaning they are born asexual, develop female sex organs, at some point in their life may turn into a male. Juvenile Holacanthus Angelfish may exhibit color or pattern differences. May be territorial towards other Angelfish with the same shape.

The African Angelfish is also known as the West African Angelfish or Guinean Angelfish. Adult African Angelfish are an olive green color with a white bar in the middle of its body. The dorsal and anal fins are edged in yellow, ther is also an eyespot behind the gill cover . African Angelfish can grow to 17".

We recommend a minimum aquarium size of 150 gallons or larger for this species.

Water conditions: Salinity 1.020 - 1.025, Temp (F) 72 - 78, pH 8.1 - 8.4, Alkalinity 8 - 12 dKH

  • Care: CareModerateModerate
  • Behavior: BehaviorSocialSocial
  • Diet: DietFrozen FoodFrozen Food DietHerbivoreHerbivore DietLive FoodLive Food
  • Habitat: HabitatReefReef
  • Light: LightMediumMedium