HomeMarine aquarium fishAngelfish & butterflyfishQueen angelfish Queen angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris) Scientific name: Holacanthus ciliaris Linnaeus, 1758 The Queen angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris) is a marine fish of the family Pomacanthidae. Native range: Western Atlantic, Florida, USA and Gulf of Mexico to Brazil. Eastern Central Atlantic: St. Paul's Rocks. BiologyFound on coral reefs. Generally occurs solitarily or in pairs. Moves gracefully between seafans, seawhips, and corals. Stomach contents of 26 specimens indicate that the species feeds almost exclusively on sponges supplemented by small amounts of algae, tunicates, hydroids and bryozoans. Young pick ectoparasites from other fishes. Marketed fresh.Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameHolacanthus ciliarisFamilyPomacanthidae (Angelfishes)OrderPerciformes (Perch-like fish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length45.0Common length30.0Depth range1–70 m (3–230 ft)EnvironmentMarine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 1 - 70 mClimateSubtropicalDistributionWestern Atlantic: Florida, USA and Gulf of Mexico to Brazil. Eastern Central Atlantic: St. Paul's Rocks.Conservation status (IUCN)Least Concern (LC)Threat to humansReports of ciguatera poisoningUsesFisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercialResilienceMedium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.) More angelfish & butterflyfishPajama cardinalfishSphaeramia nematopteraAngelfishHolacanthus bermudensisCherubfishCentropyge argiRock beautyHolacanthus tricolorBanded butterflyfishChaetodon striatusReef butterflyfishChaetodon sedentariusSee all angelfish & butterflyfish SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.Last updated 27 September 2026