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Pomacanthus navarchus

Majestic angelfish

A western Pacific angelfish, yellowish orange with blue dots and a broad dark blue band on the rear part of the body. 1 7 It is uncommon and feeds mainly on sponges and tunicates. 2 The Italian names on record include pesce angelo maestoso and pesce angelo cinto di blu. 11

PomacanthidaeIUCN: Least concern
Pomacanthus navarchus

At a glance

Data from the scientific sources listed at the bottom.

Depth in the wild

3–40 m

0 m10 m20 m30 m40 m50 m

Size

up to 28 cm

0612182430

maximum total length according to FishBase; FAO gives about 25 cm

Conservation

NEDDLCNTVUENCREWEX

IUCN Red List: least concern (2009). Red List data taken from FishBase and GBIF. 2 10 It does not appear in the CITES lists checked on Species+. 12 FishBase describes it as highly sought after for export to aquariums, while FAO speaks of occasional export. 2 5

Where it lives

Red SeaWestern Indian OceanEastern Indian OceanCentral Indo-PacificWestern PacificCentral PacificEastern PacificWestern AtlanticEastern AtlanticMediterranean

From Indonesia to Papua New Guinea, north to the Philippines and south to the Rowley Shoals and the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef; it includes Palau and Yap. 2 FAO adds the Solomon Islands. 5

How to recognise it

Tap a number on the photo: the key explains what to look for.

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  1. 1Eye in the blue patch the blue area covers much of the head 6
  2. 2Pectoral fin in the blue an area of deep blue surrounds the fin 7
  3. 3Flanks with blue dots on a yellowish orange background 7
  4. 4Rear blue band from the anal fin, across the peduncle, to the base of the soft dorsal fin 6
  5. 5Yellowish orange tail like the dorsal fin 7

Life in the wild

Where it is found

Coral-rich areas in clear lagoons, channels and sheltered outer slopes. 2 Juveniles usually stay in shallow, protected areas of the reef. 7 FAO gives a narrower range, 3-20 m. 5

What it eats

It feeds on sponges and tunicates. 2 5 7 FishBase also lists algae, without stating the geographical source of the record. 3

Behaviour

Often solitary, or in pairs. 2 5 7

Reproduction

FishBase classes it among fish that scatter their eggs without parental care. 4 No open-access data specific to spawning, eggs or larvae of this species were found.

In the aquarium

From the experience of the BallingMania community.

Community rating
Swimming level
lowmediumhigh
Coral compatibility
lowmediumhigh
Aggression
lowmediumhigh
Care difficulty
lowmediumhigh
Original sheet

A very colourful fish belonging to the angelfish family (Pomacanthidae); it lives on the reef front in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. It is an omnivorous fish and one of the angelfish most sought after by hobbyists for its very distinctive colourful livery and because it does not grow to a large size (in the wild it does not exceed 30 cm) like its cousins in the same family; it is not difficult to acclimatise. In the tank it prefers large volumes, over 400 litres, even though it does not like swimming; in the wild it likes to position itself on the reef front. It too has a different juvenile livery, with a deep blue colour and white lines running right across its body, a livery that changes in a short time, taking on the stable adult colours. It is strongly not recommended for beginners, because of its aggressive temperament towards animals of the same family; absolutely not reef safe, because the polyps of SPS corals are part of its daily diet, as are mussels and soft corals.

Top photo: Florent De Gasperis - Bottom photo: Ken Bondy

What studies say about keeping it

A figure from a veterinary review, not advice for a home aquarium. Among marine ornamental fish that tested positive for megalocytiviruses is this species, with one case reported in Brazil in 2015. 9

Did you know?

The change from juvenile to adult livery is abrupt, and intermediate stages are rarely seen. 2
As a juvenile it is hard to tell apart, by colour alone, from juveniles of P. sextriatus and P. xanthometapon. 6
A class of bile acids never before described in vertebrates was found in its bile, resistant to attack by gut bacteria. 8
The maximum reported age is 15 years. 2

Sources

  1. WoRMS Editorial Board (2026). Pomacanthus navarchus (Cuvier, 1831). World Register of Marine Species.
  2. Froese R., Pauly D. (eds.) (2026). Pomacanthus navarchus, Bluegirdle angelfish. FishBase.
  3. Froese R., Pauly D. (eds.) (2026). Food items reported for Pomacanthus navarchus. FishBase.
  4. Froese R., Pauly D. (eds.) (2026). Reproduction of Pomacanthus navarchus. FishBase.
  5. Pyle R. (2001). Pomacanthidae, species list. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Food and Agriculture Organization.
  6. Pyle R. (2001). Pomacanthidae, family and identification keys. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Food and Agriculture Organization.
  7. Bray D.J. (2026). Bluegirdle Angelfish, Pomacanthus navarchus (Cuvier 1831). Fishes of Australia.
  8. Satoh (Okihara) R., Saito T., Ogata H. et al. (2014). N-Methyltaurine N-acyl amidated bile acids and deoxycholic acid in the bile of angelfish (Pomacanthidae): a novel bile acid profile in Perciform fish. Steroids.
  9. Johan C.A.C., Zainathan S.C. (2020). Megalocytiviruses in ornamental fish: A review. Veterinary World.
  10. GBIF Secretariat (2026). Pomacanthus navarchus, IUCN Red List category. GBIF.
  11. GBIF Secretariat (2026). Pomacanthus navarchus, nomi comuni. GBIF.
  12. UNEP-WCMC (2026). Search for Pomacanthus navarchus in the CITES lists. Species+.

Sources checked on 5 November 2026. Community texts and ratings are kept separate from the scientific data.

Download the original sheet (Italian)All species