The Emperor Angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator) belongs to the Angelfishes family Pomacanthidae. The colours and markings of this species vary greatly between juvenile and adult. Juveniles have white cirlcea on the body with black and blue colouration on the body. The adults have numerous yellow lines along the body, a yellow tail and a black patch over their eyes. The image above is of an adult Emperor Angelfish. They are found in tropical waters throughout the world. They are distributed around the tropical waters of Australia from Fish Rock on the NSW north coast around the north to Coral Bay on the Western Australia coast.
This species can be found on coral reefs and can often be observed swimming along coral wall drop offs. They are generally found in waters below 20 metres but sometimes adults can be found venturing into shallower depths. They can be considered a shy species and will often swim away from a diver and hide in a cave or crevice. They grow to a maximum size of approximately 40cm.
