What Divers Should Know About Gray Angelfish

Juvenile gray angelfish provide a valuable cleaning service, establishing stations where larger fish visit to have ectoparasites removed. As adults, these diurnal angelfish are commonly encountered over coral and rocky reefs throughout the Western Atlantic. They typically inhabit depths between 3 and 30 meters, retreating into the reef at night. Younger individuals often prefer shallower patch reefs and seagrass beds.

Distinguishing adults is straightforward; they display a pale grayish body covered in black spots, often with elongated streamers on their dorsal and anal fins, and a white mouth. In contrast, juveniles are black with five striking vertical yellow stripes. This species can reach an impressive maximum length of 60 centimeters (24 inches). Their range extends from New York south to Rio de Janeiro, encompassing the entire Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, though they generally avoid areas north of Florida during winter.