French angelfish
Pomacanthus paru
- Scientific name
- Pomacanthus paru
- Group
- Reef fish
- Rarity
- Common
- Where to see it
- Caribbean & Tropical Atlantic
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Least concern
Did you know?
The French angelfish looks completely different as a juvenile than as an adult: young fish are black with bright yellow stripes, while adults turn grayish-black with yellow-edged scales. It also acts as a cleaner fish, picking parasites off other fish.
What defines this group — Reef fish
The bony fish that live against coral and rock: the living backdrop of almost every dive.
- A bony skeleton, scales, and a rigid gill cover closing over the gills.
- A swim bladder acts as a float: they hold their depth without swimming.
- Many change colour, pattern — sometimes even sex — over the course of their life.
Other species in this group
- Ocellaris clownfish
- Blue tang
- Red lionfish
- Spot-fin porcupinefish
- Mediterranean moray
- Clark's anemonefish