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One of the most distinctive fish on coral reefs, the French angelfish ranges from Florida, throughout the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, and south to Brazil. In the eastern Atlantic, populations live off of Ascension Island and St. Paul’s Rocks.
Adults are mostly black, their scales rimmed in gold. Juveniles look remarkably different, mostly dark brown or black with three broad golden vertical stripes. French angelfish usually stay in waters less than 15 feet deep with reefs, where they are often observed in pairs. Spawning couples are extremely territorial, defending their area aggressively from other pairs.
Spawning occurs between April and September, the breeding pair releasing sperm and 25,000-75,000 eggs as they swim. Fertilized eggs hatch within 15-20 hours. The tiny larvae live among plankton until they grow a little longer than half an inch, at which point they move to the coral reef. French angelfish are sexually mature around 10 inches and can grow as long as two feet, though around 16 inches is more common. They may live as long as 10 years.
Adults eat mostly sponges, algae, sea mats, sea anemones and coral. Juveniles also feed on parasites from other fish. They establish “cleaning stations,” where they remove and eat parasites from a wide range of fish, including jacks, snappers, morays, and wrasses. Their tall, narrow bodies allow French angelfish to enter narrow cracks and crevices to feed.
Nature picture credits ( left to right): Photo © Jurgen Freund/npl / Minden Pictures (French Angelfish with diver, Caribbean); Photo © Norbert Wu / Minden Pictures (in reef; Saba Island; Caribbean).
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