Template:POTD/2025-07-24
Appearance
The emperor angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator) is a species in the marine angelfish family, Pomacanthidae. It is a reef-associated fish, native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from the Red Sea to Hawaii and the Austral Islands. Adults are found in areas where there is a rich growth of corals on clear lagoon, channel, or seaward reefs, at depths between 1 and 100 metres (3 and 330 feet) The emperor angelfish shows a marked difference between the juveniles and the adults. The juveniles have a dark blue body which is marked with concentric curving lines, alternating between pale blue and white, while adults are striped with blue and yellow horizontal stripes, a light blue face with a dark blue mask over the eyes and a yellow caudal fin. It can attain a maximum total length of around 40 centimetres (16 inches). This adult emperor angelfish was photographed in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt.Photograph credit: Diego Delso