Care
The exquisitely coloured Majestic Angelfish is a shy species best suited to spacious mature aquaria. In the wild, it is found inhabiting coral rich lagoons, channels, and protected outer reef slopes, mostly swimming solitary. In the home aquarium, live rock is considered essential for the wellbeing of this species, providing grazing opportunities as well as a multitude of hiding places. A difficult species to maintain, experienced dedicated hobbyists are urged to source a healthy medium sized specimen as both small and very large fish do not tend to adapt quite so well to captivity. In any case, it is fairly unusual to see tiny Majestic Angelfish offered for sale " the juvenile pattern is remarkably different to that of the adults and is seldom seen. Keep only one per tank and not with any other angelfish species, as they will fight. The gill cover spine is a formidable weapon, used both for defence and aggression (take care when netting or handling these fish). Juveniles are particularly reclusive, but adults should become bolder with age. As mentioned previously, the tank should be aquascaped so that it has a decent amount of bolt-holes amongst the decor where the fish can retreat to if necessary. In fact the more places to hide, the more likely you are to see more of your Majestic Angel; this is because the fish will gain confidence in knowing it can retreat out of sight quickly should it feel the need. Do not introduce similarly shaped/coloured fish into the aquarium after your Majestic Angel has become established in the tank, as although not as aggressive as some of the other larger angel species, it will behave very antagonistically towards these newcomers. Unfortunately, Majestic Angels will nip at LPS corals, some soft corals such as Xenia sp., and also clam mantles. However, most SPS corals and some of the more noxious soft corals should be ignored. Filtration should be oversized, with highly efficient protein skimming and powerful circulation. Many experts consider this species to reside in the "Euxiphipops complex" (a sub-genus), along with 2 other species, namely the Bluefaced Angel (P. xanthometopon) and the Sixbanded Angel (P. sexstriatus). The latter two are considered extremely challenging to keep in the home aquarium, and none are suitable for beginners. With such a huge family of fish to choose from, there are many Angelfish species that are much hardier and better suited to captivity than these beauties from the Euxiphipops complex.
Feeding
Offer a varied diet which includes frozen foods containing Spirulina, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, Mysis shrimp, finely chopped shrimp etc, plus marine flake food and greens, including Nori. Does best in mature aquaria with a healthy microalgae growth. Frozen rations prepared especially for angelfish are good if you can find them, particularly those containing sponges. Garlic additives are excellent for those specimens that appear a little reluctant to take prepared foods, although you should always check with your dealer that your angelfish is feeding prior to purchase. Feed small amounts 2-3 times per day.
Breeding
This species has not been bred in the home aquarium.
