Bellus Angelfish Male Genicanthus bellus

Bellus Angelfish Male

The Bellus Angelfish, also known as Pomacanthus bellus, is unique for its sexual dimorphism. Males are iridescent pale blue and white with horizontal blue stripes on the lower body and anal fins, along with a yellow to orange stripe extending towards the caudal fin and bordering the dorsal fin. Females are iridescent pale blue-black with a yellow/orange lateral stripe and dorsal fin.

Housing Requirements

• Tank Size: Best kept in a 125-gallon or larger aquarium.
• Tank Setup: Ideal for deep-water reef aquariums.
• Lighting: Initially prefer dim lighting but adapt well to bright reef aquarium lights.
• Hiding Places: Provide multiple hiding spots and ample live rock for grazing.
• Group Dynamics: Suitable as a male-female pair or a small harem with one male and several females. Avoid keeping multiple males together due to potential aggression.

Diet and Nutrition

• Diet: Primarily a planktivore, consuming zooplankton, marine algae, bryozoans, polychaetes, and other benthic invertebrates.
• Feeding: Accepts prepared frozen foods such as mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, shellfish, and Spirulina. Ensure a varied diet for optimal health.

Origin and Characteristics

• Native Region: Found in the Eastern Indian and Western Pacific Oceans, including Tahiti, Guam, Palau, Tonga, Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Okinawa (Japan), South Indonesia, and Cocos-Keeling Atoll.
• Appearance: Males are pale blue and white with blue stripes and a yellow-orange stripe; females are blue-black with yellow/orange accents.
• Breeding: Hermaphroditic, with the ability to change sex from female to male and back if necessary. Breeding in captivity is challenging but possible.

 

Bellus Angelfish Species Profile and Water Parameters

• Scientific Name: Genicanthus bellus
• Family: Pomacanthidae
• Origin: Western Pacific

The Bellus Angelfish stands apart from most angelfish due to its open-water swimming behavior and clear sexual dimorphism. Males and females display noticeably different coloration, which is uncommon among angelfish species and adds visual variety to the aquarium . This species spends more time in the water column rather than constantly grazing rockwork, which influences both tank layout and flow requirements.

Water Parameters:

• Temperature: 72°F – 78°F
• pH: 8.1 – 8.4
• dKH: 8 – 12
• Water Density (Specific Gravity): 1.020 – 1.025

Stable parameters matter more than chasing exact numbers. This species responds best to consistency, strong oxygenation, and moderate to high flow that mimics reef slope conditions.