The French angelfish is a very popular large angelfish within the pomacanthidae family. They are also some of the largest angels in that family. They enjoy their popularity with two other angels, the Emperor and the Queen angelfish.
French angelfish, Pomacanthus paru (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Their scientific names are Pomacanthus Paru and they hail from throughout the Caribbean oceans. They are a common sight by scuba divers in the area and known for their curious and bold disposition. This is why there are so many videos on this species on youtube.
They are very similar to their close relative, the Gray angelfish (Pomacanthus arcuatus). As juveniles, you would be hard pressed to tell the two apart. But as adults however, the task becomes much easier. The French angelfish has golden to yellow flecks throughout its body while those found on the gray angelfish are a dark gray.
While it may be difficult to tell juveniles apart, there is a simple method. Always note the shape of their caudal fins. Those in the french are always rounded while those on the gray are always straighter. Viewed side by side, this trait is very apparent.
Both the French angelfish and the Gray angelfish get really big in the wild. Specimens of up to two feet have been reported. But as is normally the case, they seldom reach such lengths in captivity. Expect no more than 16 inches or so.
Prepare a large aquarium for them if you are interested in rearing this large species. The minimum requirement would be a 150 gallon tank. They are an open swimming species so something larger like a 250 to 300 gallon aquarium is highly recommended.
In the wild they graze on a wide variety of food items from crustaceans, algae, polyps and sponges. Because of this, they are not considered reef safe and can destroy your corals in short order. Offer them a balanced diet consisting of dry pellet food, nori sheets and a mix of meaty foods.
They are usually easily fed once they have acclimated and are a wonderful addition to the tank. They are usually the first to at the aquarium glass once they see you and have interesting behaviors.
Eibli Angelfish or Centropyge eibli are members of the family Pomacanthidae. This species is indigenous to the western Indo-Pacific. Geographical locations stem from Sri Lanka to Malaysia. This species inhabits reef formations from depths of 30 to 100 feet.
Ebilies are larger dwarf angles reaching an adult length of up to 6 inches. Their pale gray primary body coloring is accentuated by thin orange or red vertical banding from just behind their heads to shortly before the base of their caudal fins. The most posterior region of their body and their tail fin is black. This fish is further accented with blue highlights. The top of their heads and their anal fins are overcast in blue for an overall grayish-blue effect. Dorsal, caudal and anal fins are rimmed in pale blue. Anal fins have curved orange markings prior to the blue rimming. These fish often have a hint of orange around their eyes and orange underbellies. This species is known by the names red stripe angelfish, blacktail angel, or Eibli's (in the possessive form) angelfish.
If you are a novice aquarist, this species is the perfect choice for your first angelfish in a multi-species aquarium. They are a dwarf angelfish so they do not require an aquarium the size of a small swimming pool. They can be housed in a tank as small as 30 gallons. They have an easy care rating so they are more likely to survive and even thrive in inexperienced hands. These are mild mannered fish but are assertive enough to hold their own against bullies. This means they can be house with a vast array of species of varying size and temperament. Eiblies can even be kept with large, more territorial angelfish. Of course never raising a marine species with larger more aggressive fish is advisable. Cardinalfish, gobies, tilefish, butterflyfish, fairy basslets and wrasse of less aggressive natures will all make excellent tank mates.
A small community of ebilies can be raised together provided they have adequate swimming room and plenty of hiding places. You should only keep multiples in the same aquarium if they are introduced as juveniles. These fish will exhibit territorial behavior toward other dwarf angle species. They are considered semi-reef safe. A juvenile that learns to derive its nutritional needs from aquarium food and grazing on live rocks will be far less likely to nibble at corals or ornamental clams and crustaceans than and adult introduced to the same reef environment.
Dwarfs are omnivorous. Juveniles are planktonic feeders. Adults live on worms, small crustaceans and mollusks and algae in disproportionate quantities. When keeping any species of angelfish an abundant supply of well established cured live rock is mandatory. A good quality marine angelfish food can be supplemented with chopped fresh clams and shrimp. Frozen preparations for omnivores are acceptable. If keeping multiples it is essential to their health to have a large enough algae base to sustain them. Dried algae sheets or frozen algae will help ensure their nutritional needs are adequately addressed.
In nature, these are harem fish. A single male is charged with the keeping of up to half a dozen females and as many as a dozen juveniles. This same community environment can be emulated in captivity by the introduction of several juveniles to an aquarium. This is a protogynous synchronous hermaphroditic species. Juveniles are always female. The largest, most dominant of the bunch, will transition into a male and take custodianship of his harem. This species rarely breeds in captivity.
A note of interest: Eibli Angelfish are exceedingly scarce off the shores of Bali and Flores, Indonesia. As a result, ebilies are known to breed with pearlscale angelfish (C. vrolikii). Their hybrids are typically very light gray with faint orange striping. The commercial availability of these hybrids is becoming more commonplace as an exportable community from Indonesia. Another hybrid variation occurs off the coasts of Christmas, Coco-Keeling Islands and Western Australia. These are the offspring of coupling between the Eibli and Lemonpeel dwarf angels (C. flavissima). These hybrids are a rare and coveted find in the marine retail industry.
By Stephen J Broy
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