Koran Angelfish Identification Guide
How to recognize a koran angelfish by its curved blue body stripes and yellow-edged tail with a dark basal spot.
Read the full Koran Angelfish encyclopedia entry →
Key identification features
- Adults are dark green to blue-green with pale blue, semicircular (curved) thin stripes across the body, densest toward the head
- Yellow-edged, crescent-shaped tail fin with a dark spot near its base
- Trailing filament tips on the soft dorsal fin in mature adults, giving the rear profile a ragged look
- Juveniles are dark blue to black with electric-blue and white concentric circular lines, closely resembling other juvenile Pomacanthus angelfish
- Adults reach about 40 cm and become noticeably more angular in profile with age
Common look-alikes
- Blue ring angelfish has similar curved blue stripes but shows a distinct blue ring or spot behind the head that koran angelfish lacks, and its tail is plainer
- Emperor angelfish has bolder, straighter horizontal blue-and-yellow stripes and a fully yellow tail without a dark basal spot
Where you'll see one
Found on coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Australia and Japan, typically on lagoon and outer reef slopes to about 40 m.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell an adult koran angelfish from a blue ring angelfish?
Koran angelfish lacks the blue ring or spot behind the head that blue ring angelfish has, and its tail shows a dark spot near the base rather than being unmarked.
How can I recognize a juvenile koran angelfish?
Juveniles are dark blue-black with concentric white and blue circular lines, nearly identical to other juvenile Pomacanthus angelfish, so range and eventual adult pattern help confirm the ID.