🐠 Zebra Lyretail Angelfish (Genicanthus caudovittatus)
Sharp Vertical Stripes on Males, Soft Lavender-Grey on Females • A Deeply Forked "Swallowtail" Fin • One of the Few Truly Reef-Safe, Beginner-Friendly Angelfish
 
📋 The Zebra Lyretail Angelfish, also known as the Zebra Angelfish or Red Sea Swallowtail Angelfish, displays striking sexual dimorphism: males show sharply defined vertical stripes across a pale body with a yellow-bordered dark patch on the dorsal fin, while females are a soft lavender-grey to silvery colour with a dark marking above the eye and bold black bands along the edges of their deeply forked "swallowtail" fin.
It comes from the Western Indian Ocean, from the Red Sea south along East Africa to South Africa, and including Madagascar, Réunion, Mauritius, and the Maldives, found across a wide depth range, from shallow Red Sea reef slopes down to considerably deeper water elsewhere in its range. Every Zebra Lyretail Angelfish we ship is feeding well.
This is one of the true reef-safe angelfish; unlike most angelfish, Genicanthus species are planktivores rather than coral or sponge nippers, feeding on plankton suspended in the water column, making coral nipping rare rather than a real risk. Given its often deep-water origin, subdued lighting is recommended, especially during acclimation. It's also more sociable than most angelfish and does best kept as a mated pair or a male with a harem of females, introduced to the tank together, but only ever one male per tank. It reaches up to 20cm, so plan on at least 470L.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 Dramatic Sexual Dimorphism: Males and females look strikingly different
🌿 Reef Safe: A true planktivore, one of the few safe angelfish genera
🌊 Deep-Water Sensitivity: Subdued lighting recommended, especially at first
👫 Sociable: Does well as a pair or harem, unlike most angelfish
🧠 Beginner Friendly: One of the hardier, more accessible full-size angelfish