Apolemichthys xanthotis
A Red Sea and Arabian Gulf specialist, most reliably found around Marsa Alam and Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast in 23-29.5C water.
A small, deep-bodied angelfish around 14 cm, with a mostly pale grey-white body, a dark mask across the face and a distinct yellow patch behind the eye, right where the name comes from. The dorsal and anal fins carry a dark trim that helps separate it from plainer reef angelfish at a glance. It moves in a slow, deliberate glide typical of the angelfish body shape, close to structure rather than out in open water.
Expect to find it working slowly over rocky and coral reef structure between about 10 and 35 metres, picking at algae and small invertebrates on the substrate rather than schooling in open water. It is logged as uncommon at the sites where divers see it, so sightings tend to be a solitary fish tucked near a ledge or crevice rather than an obvious open-water encounter. It is not a fish that approaches divers, so a patient, slow look along the reef face gives the best chance of a clear view.
Its omnivorous diet lets it graze both algae and small reef invertebrates, a flexible feeding style shared by many members of the Apolemichthys angelfish group.
No clear seasonal pattern shows up in the sightings, and with a comfortable range of 23 to 29.5C across its range, it is effectively a year-round fish on these reefs. Plan around good diving conditions in the Red Sea or Gulf rather than a specific angelfish season.
Reef neighbours a diver could mistake it for. Use the identification notes above to tell them apart.
This is a Red Sea and northwest Indian Ocean specialist, most consistently logged along the Red Sea Coast of Saudi Arabia and around Marsa Alam and the Deep South in Egypt, with further strongholds in Oman's Muscat and Musandam regions, Sudan's Deep South and Suakin, and the Arabian Gulf off the UAE. Divers also report it from the Gulf of Tadjoura in Djibouti and occasionally off Pondicherry in India, but the Red Sea and Gulf of Oman coasts are where you have the best odds.
Mapping where Yellow-ear Angelfish is logged…
Best chances are along the Red Sea Coast of Saudi Arabia and around Marsa Alam and the Deep South in Egypt, with reliable records also from Oman's Muscat and Musandam areas, Sudan's Red Sea coast, the UAE's Arabian Gulf and Djibouti's Gulf of Tadjoura.
There is no strong seasonal signal in the sightings, and it tolerates a wide 23 to 29.5C range, so it is essentially a year-round find on Red Sea and Gulf of Oman reefs.
Look for a small, pale grey-bodied angelfish around 14 cm with a dark facial mask and a yellow patch behind the eye. The dark-trimmed dorsal and anal fins add extra confirmation against similar reef angelfish.
They reach around 14 cm, a small, reef-hugging angelfish rather than one of the larger showy species in the family.
No, they pose no danger to divers and simply carry on grazing the reef if you keep a respectful distance.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
Rock Beauty
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