Lamarck’s Angelfish (Genicanthus lamarck), also known as the Blackstriped Angelfish, is a species of marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It was first formally described in 1802 by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacepede. The specific name honours the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. Lamarck’s Angelfish is found from the Gulf of Thailand east through the Malayan Archipelago to the Solomon Islands, north as far as southern Japan and south to the Great Barrier Reef. It

Distribution and Habitat

is found at depths between 10 and 50 meters in areas of dense coral growth on the seaward slopes of reefs and on steep drop-offs.

Physical Description

Adults are pale greyish to whitish in colour marked with 4-5 irregular black undulating stripes which radiate out from the eye and run horizontally along the flanks. There is a wide black submarginal band on the dorsal fin, and the caudal fin is finely spotted. The males have a yellow patch on the crown, black pelvic fins, and very elongated lobes on the caudal fin. Females have white pectoral fins and black caudal fin lobes. The dorsal fin contains 15 spines and 15-16 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 16-17 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 25 cm (9.8 in). Its

Diet and Feeding

normal diet is zooplankton.

Behavior and Reproduction

They are normally observed over the bottom in small harems with a dominant male and 2-6 females. They are sequential protogynous hermaphrodites. Unlike most angelfish, Genicanthus species are generally considered more reef-safe due to their plankton-based diet. They are peaceful and can be kept with a variety of tankmates.

Conservation Status

Classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List.