French Angelfish

French Angelfish

Pomacanthus paru

Also known as: French Angel

🧂 Saltwater ⚡ Semi-aggressive 🔴 Advanced 🍽️ Omnivore Not Reef Safe

A large, elegant angel with a dark gray-black body where each scale is edged in bright gold, creating a chain-link pattern. Juveniles are jet black with bold yellow vertical stripes.

Tank Size

180 gal
minimum (250+ preferred)

Temperature

74–82°F
23–28°C

pH Range

8.1–8.4
water acidity

Max Size

15"
38.1 cm

Lifespan

15–20 years
typical in captivity

Swim Level

Middle
preferred zone

Care Notes

Needs an enormous tank with strong filtration. Not reef-safe — will consume sponges, corals, and tunicates. Hardy once established but sensitive during acclimation.

Feeding

Sponge-based foods, marine algae, spirulina, mysis shrimp, and chopped fresh seafood. Offer multiple feedings per day.

Compatible Tank Mates

None identified.

Use Caution With

Ocellaris Clownfish 3" True Percula Clownfish 3" Blue Green Chromis 3" Blue Tang 12" Yellow Tang 8" Kole Tang 7" Clarkii Clownfish 5" Tomato Clownfish 5" Scopas Tang 8" Naso Tang 18" Convict Tang 8" Cinnamon Clownfish 5"

Incompatible With

Maroon Clownfish 6" Yellowtail Damselfish 2.5" Blue Devil Damselfish 3" Powder Blue Tang 9" Achilles Tang 10" Purple Tang 10" Three Stripe Damselfish 3" Domino Damselfish 5" Azure Damselfish 2.5" Springer's Damselfish 2" Four Stripe Damselfish 3" Neon Damselfish 2.5"

Check Compatibility

Want to check if French Angelfish is compatible with a specific fish? Use our compatibility checker to build your complete tank.