king angelfish
Holacanthus passer
Shallow-reef angelfish of the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru, including the Galápagos. It is taken in commercial fishing and in the aquarium trade.
Also called: peixe-anjo-rei, ángel real, pez bandera, king angelfish
- maximum
- 36 cm
- depth
- 4–30 m
who is the king angelfish
Angelfish of the family Pomacanthidae, with a deep, laterally compressed body, reaching 35.6 cm. Common size 15 cm. It lives on shallow reefs, from 4 to 30 m, from the Gulf of California to Peru, including the Galápagos Islands. It grazes by day on fixed invertebrates and algae, with a preference for sponges, and also eats plankton. Adults form fixed, monogamous pairs, and females are more territorial. Spawning happens every day throughout the lunar cycle. It is taken in commercial fishing and in the aquarium trade.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the king angelfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Juveniles clean other fish on the reefs.
- Sometimes forms mixed groups with the Cortez angelfish.
identification
Deep-bodied, laterally compressed and disc-shaped, with a small mouth and a strong spine at the corner of the cheek, traits of angelfishes. Adults move in pairs over the reef, and juveniles clean other fish. It reaches 35.6 cm, less than the Cortez angelfish (Pomacanthus zonipectus), which reaches 46 cm and shares the reef with it.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru, including the Galápagos, on shallow reefs of Latin America.
Habitat: Shallow reefs, 4 to 30 m, with sponges and invertebrates.
when to fish
best time of day
Daytime. Grazes by day on fixed invertebrates and algae.
rules for the king angelfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Harmless to people, but it has a strong spine on the cheek: hold it with wet hands and release it quickly, with the fish in the water.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02818, b = 2.92; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Holacanthus passer (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Holacanthus passerNames by country and language.
