Spotted angelfish (Genicanthus takeuchii)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Acanthuriformes · Family: Pomacanthidae · Genus: Genicanthus.

Accepted name: Genicanthus takeuchii · Authority: Pyle, 1997 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 279098.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=279098 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Genicanthus takeuchii. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 25 cm · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 20.5 of 100 · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Inhabits coral reefs (Ref. 43239). FishBase common name agreed by authors.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 60079) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Genicanthus-takeuchii.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Genicanthus takeuchii Pyle, 1997 as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 165827) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165827/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2396470) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2396470/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Genicanthus takeuchii, like the other angelfishes in the genus Genicanthus, shows sexual dichromatism, the males and females show differences in colour and pattern. The male is greyish white on the upper body with six to eight horizontal stripes, while the lower body is pale white. The dorsal fin and the caudal fin are both marked with large black spots. Females have an overall colour of greyish white with a dense pattern of black spots on the upper body and caudal fin.

The juveniles have a honeycomb pattern on the upper body. The dorsal fin contains 15 spines and 16 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 17-18 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 25 cm.

Genicanthus takeuchii is found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It is restricted to Marcus Island and the Ogasawara Islands to the southeast of Japan. They have also been found in the Marianas Islands.

Genicanthus takeuchii is a little known species of deep coral reefs at depths between 25 and 60 m.

Genicanthus takeuchii was first formally described in 1997 as Holocanthus semifasciatus by the American ichthyologist Richard L. Pyle with the type locality given as Ani-jima, Mansakunohama in the Ogasawara Islands of Japan. The specific name honours the discoverer of this species, the Japanese diver Hiroshi Takeuchi. This species is known to hybridise with the Japanese swallow (Genicanthus semifasciatus).

Genicanthus takeuchii does not appear in the aquarium trade.

Source: Wikipedia: Genicanthus takeuchii — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genicanthus_takeuchii (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.