Species profile
French Angelfish
Pomacanthus paru
Identify French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) from a photo — free, unlimited, no sign-up — with the CatchRules iPhone app. Plus current fishing rules across 1 jurisdiction.
At a glance
French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
Confirmed by 442 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Florida, New York, and Texas the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Adults are jet black with vivid yellow scale edges, creating a striking speckled pattern.
- Like grey angelfish, juveniles sport black bodies with yellow vertical stripes.
- They form long-term mated pairs that jointly defend feeding territories on coral reefs.
- French angelfish feed mainly on sponges, a diet most reef fish completely avoid.
- Juveniles run cleaning stations, picking parasites off fish many times their own size.
Where French Angelfish are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for French Angelfish
Background
The French angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) is a large angelfish of the family Pomacanthidae, found in the western Atlantic from New York and the Bahamas to Brazil, and also the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, including the Antilles, Roatan, and the eastern Atlantic from around Ascension Island and St. Paul's Rocks, at depths of between 2 and 100 m. Length is up to 41 cm.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's French Angelfish article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Frequently asked questions
What is French Angelfish?
French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
What is the scientific name for French Angelfish?
French Angelfish is Pomacanthus paru.
Is French Angelfish regulated for fishing?
Yes — French Angelfish has fishing regulations in 1 U.S. state and/or Canadian province tracked by CatchRules. See the "Jurisdictions with rules" section above for the binding-source links.
How can I identify French Angelfish?
Take a photo with the free CatchRules iPhone app — on-device identification recognizes French Angelfish along with ~1,500 other species. No sign-up, unlimited use.
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.