Arabian angelfish (Pomacanthus asfur)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Pomacanthus asfur · Authority: (Forsskål, 1775) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 219999.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Arusetta asfur (Forsskål, 1775); Chaetodon asfur Forsskål, 1775.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=219999 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 40 cm · Depth range: 3–30 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 30 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: commercial.

FishBase notes: Common around semi-protected inshore reefs with rich soft and hard coral growth, occasional patches of silt bottom. Very aggressive toward its own species, unless paired. Adults feed mainly on sponges and tunicates (Ref. 30573). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 9710.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 11194) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Pomacanthus-asfur.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

75 georeferenced occurrence records for Pomacanthus asfur are published through GBIF from 6 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 23 distinct locations from a sample of 75 records, omitting 6 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Saudi Arabia (41); Egypt (18); Eritrea (8); Djibouti (5); Yemen (2); Kuwait (1).

Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: Eritrean Exclusive Economic Zone; Somali Exclusive Economic Zone; Tanzanian Exclusive Economic Zone; Red Sea; Djiboutian Exclusive Economic Zone; Florida; Maltese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2396418) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2396418&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=219999 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Pomacanthus asfur (Forsskål, 1775) 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 165839) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165839/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2396418) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2396418/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Pomacanthus asfur has a completely different colour and pattern as a juvenile from that of the adult. Juveniles have a blue body which is marked with pale-blue and white stripes. As they mature they develop yellow markings on their dorsal and caudal fins.

Until as fully mature adults they have an overall dark blue body with a blackish face, a yellow caudal fin and a broad crescent-shaped yellow band running vertically across the flanks. The dorsal fin has 12 spines and 19–20 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 19–20 soft rays, the pectoral fins each contain 17 or 18 rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 40 cm.

Distribution

Pomacanthus asfur is principally found in the western Indian Ocean. Here it is found in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and along the coast of eastern Africa as far south as Zanzibar. It is also found in the Persian Gulf. It has been recorded, as a probable release of aquarium specimens, on a few occasions off the eastern coast of Florida and from Malta.

Several specimens have been observed in the Mediterranean waters of Israel and Lebanon.

Habitat and biology

Pomacanthus asfur has been recorded at depths between 3 and 30 m. It is a common species where there are relatively sheltered inshore reefs which have rich growth of soft and hard corals with a few patches of silty seabed.

Their diet is dominated by sponges and tunicates. It is a solitary and shy fish that divers find difficult to approach and it is normally recorded near caves or crevices in the reef. This species is a protogynous hermaphrodite, the larger fish in a pair will change sex to become male.

Systematics

Pomacanthus asfur had its first formal described published in 1775 by the Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius (1745–1808) but it has commonly been attributed to Finnish born Swede Peter Forsskål (1732–1763) the type locality is given as Al-Luhayya, Yemen. Some authorities place this species in the subgenus Arusetta, of which it is the type species The specific name asfur is this species Arabic name in Yemen.

Utilisation

Pomacanthus asfur is infrequently found in the aquarium trade. It has been bred in captivity and captive bred specimens are sometimes marketed as "half-moon angelfish".

Source: Wikipedia: Pomacanthus asfur — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomacanthus_asfur (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.