Adult french angelfish (Pomacanthus paru)One of my more enduring memories of diving in the Florida Keys was coming across a pair of French angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) gliding in unison above the reef. Unlike so many other fishes that dashed into hiding as I approached, the angels actually swam right into touching distance and seemed to take an interest in my presence. Whether they were naturally curious, accustomed to being handfed, or just amused by the sight of such a big fellow squeezed into a wetsuit, I can’t say, but their beauty and boldness certainly impressed me. If you happen to have a system large enough to accommodate one of these angels, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed either. Let’s look at their characteristics:Physical traits Juvenile Pomacanthus paruFrench angels aren’t as spectacularly colored as some reef fishes are, yet they’re subtly beautiful nonetheless. Adults are bluish-black overall with golden-yellow scale margins. The face is slate blue, the mouth is white, and the eyes are rimmed with gold. As with many angelfish species, juvenile French angels differ considerably from the adults in coloration, being black overall with five vertical, curving yellow bars on their flanks
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