Gray angelfish (Pomacanthus arcuatus) care guide

Group
Marine fish
Other names
Grey angelfish, Pot cover
Family
Pomacanthidae (marine angelfishes)
Origin
Western Atlantic, New York to Rio de Janeiro including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico; coral and rocky reefs, 3–30 m
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
60 cm
Temperature
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
Salinity SG 1.020–1.025
Care level
intermediate
Temperament
semi_aggressive
Reef safe
no

Care

Reaches about 60 cm, so it belongs in a public-aquarium-sized or exceptionally large private system; no minimum home tank size is given. No species-specific water figures are given in the sources, so the values here are general marine aquarium guidance rather than figures for this fish: 24–27 °C, pH 8.1–8.4 and a specific gravity of 1.020–1.025 (a fish-only system suits it). Keep conditions stable, with low nitrate and good oxygenation. Active by day and shelters in the reef at night. Juveniles run cleaning stations for larger fish. Adults are light grey with dark spots on the scales and a bluish-grey face. Juveniles are black with yellow vertical bars and look very like young French angelfish; the tail of the young grey angel has a clear rear edge and straighter bar. A popular aquarium fish, collected from Florida and Brazil, and has been bred in captivity. It is also caught for food and occasionally causes ciguatera. The article gives no IUCN category. Selling: our policies require the adult size and long-term tank needs to be stated clearly in the listing. Large fish must travel by a specialist live-animal courier (see the Livestock shipping guide). Sources: Wikipedia, List of marine aquarium fish species (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listofmarineaquariumfishspecies); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomacanthusarcuatus). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Mainly sponges in the wild, plus algae, tunicates, zoanthids, gorgonians, hydroids and bryozoans. Feed angelfish foods with sponge, frozen mysis and krill, chopped seafood and marine algae several times a day.

Breeding

Marine angelfish are pelagic broadcast spawners: a pair rises into the water column, usually around dusk, and releases eggs and sperm together. Spawns April to September in the north of its range; females release 25,000–75,000 eggs, which hatch in 15–20 hours. Captive breeding has been achieved.

Compatibility and tank mates

Not reef safe: it grazes sponges and tunicates and will pick at stony and soft corals, clam mantles and other sessile invertebrates. Best in a fish-only system with live rock. Keep one large angelfish per tank unless the system is very large; add it after more peaceful fish and alongside robust tankmates such as tangs, larger wrasses and triggerfish of similar size. Avoid small, slow or timid fish.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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