Half Moon Angelfish
Is the Half Moon the same thing as a "Map Angel".  What other names are common for this fish?  The Half Moon is definitely not the same as an Asfur Angelfish, correct?
Thanks for your abundant help! :)
<... time to send you to fishbase.org... You will find the answers to the above there by searching the members of the genus Pomacanthus. There are MANY common names for these fishes. Bob Fenner>
Elizabeth K. Birdwell

Re: purple moon
hi bob its me again the angel that i referred to as a purple moon is a maculosus angel.
                    thanks look forward to your reply
                      Karl from New Quay Cornwall UK
<I see (sort of). Our coverage of this species and its sympatric is posted here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/angels/pomacanthus/maculosus.htm and the Related FAQs (linked, in blue, at top) on WWM. Bob Fenner>

Angelfish Color Variations
Hi-
<Hi there! Scott F. with you today!>
Do all Maculosus grow up to that pretty light blue? Or do some stay darker and look more like P. asfur as  an adult? Thanks guys !
<Many possible variations with these fishes. A friend of mine has an absolutely stunning P. maculosus that is a really deep blue. Like people, fish can vary in appearance based on genetics, water conditions, nutrition, geographic population, etc.>
P.S.-My Moorish Idol is at 2yrs this month!
Bart
<Well, Bart- that is a very impressive achievement! Keep up the good work with this fish! Regards, Scott F.>

Asfur
Dear Robert,
Can you possibly identify this? All along I thought it was a Asfur, but it sure looks a lot like my maculosus
http://www.marineangels.com/Asfur/index.htm
<I make it out as an Asfur... for the yellow caudal mainly. My pix: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pomacant.htm
Though other markings (the trailing yellow on the dorsal surface, darker blue mottling on the head... do look like a maculosus... Perhaps a cross? Bob Fenner>
Warmest Regards
John

Fish id?
I was reading your web site and had a question about whether or not - my new angel fish is a Map or an Asfur. On your site I noticed you said one of the man differences in juv. was the yellow tail, but I wasn't sure if that was as adults or juv.!
<In juveniles, the Asfur's caudal/tail is yellow>
Either way it goes, is alright. But it was bought from FF as a juv. Map angel.
Thanks in advance for your help & thanks for your book & web site.
<You're welcome>
Oh, I forgot on page 24 or 25, of your book - there is a picture of an changing (either Map or Asfur)
Which one is it?
<Bottom, p. 25, an Asfur. Bob Fenner>
Thanks again,
Jackie Hutcherson

Is my Maculosus an Asfur ?
Dear Bob / Anthony / Steven.....
First of all, this is my 3rd email to you guys in 24 hours, so my apologies for so many mails. This should be the last one for a while. Not sure who I am getting :-), so I'll give a quick intro. Bought a little red sea angel a few weeks back..... sold under the scientific name P. maculosus, and common name of 'purple moon angel', so obviously that caused a little confusion, but I assumed the scientific to be the accurate one...... however the more I am reading, and the more pics I see, he is beginning to look like an asfur!!!! Now I don't mind either way, but none the less would like to know, and since there is a price difference in this part of the world, then I'd like to know for that reason too.
<Please see here, http://wetwebfotos.com/Home?actionRequest=articleView&articleID=94, regarding picture of each species and short description on telling them apart.>
Allow me to describe him. He is approx 2" body length, maybe 2.25". Still predominantly juvenile in coloration (obviously at that size) but he is changing. His yellow stripe goes from the tip of his dorsal fin, to a little over half way down his flank. The portion on the flank is practically vertical and pointed to a sharp tip, maybe slightly leaning toward the rear, then where the body and dorsal meet it strikes off backward at an angle to the very tip of his dorsal. As yet I haven't seen any pictures of the Maculosus with yellow in the dorsal, but a lot of the asfur pics show this. His caudal (this is the bit got me really thinking) is also yellow. Not it is not as vibrant a yellow as that in the center of his body, but it is as yellow as the yellow in his dorsal fin. None the less, it is distinctly yellow, and his a light blue rim around the outer edge. A slight degree of mottling is appearing on the forehead, although judging from the pictures in "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist", this mottling is common to both species. Looking at the pictures on P25, and on P259, if I had to guess which one my juvenile looks more like, then I would have to say the Asfur. Another thing I am looking at, it appears to me that the Maculosus has a more triangular shaped tail, with a slightly straighter edge and slightly more elongated, where as the Asfur seems to have a more slightly rounded, fan shape tail. Lastly, with regard to behavior. I have read how the maculosus is so much more outgoing.... well I know as a juvenile they are all pretty cautious, but this little guy is a lot more so than the emperor I had, and a guy I knew before commented on how his juvenile asfur spent a lot of time hiding, as part of its natural behavior. Also, my little guy seems to really dislike my 4 line red sea cleaner wrasse, who is very similar in color and size.... I note how the asfur is reported as particularly not liking its own kind, where as no such comment is found about the maculosus, and is reported as pretty much letting everything else alone.
<None of the large angelfish like their own kind in aquariums. They are all very territorial.>
I don't know if my description has been good enough to make a differentiation between species or not, perhaps there is another more tell tail way of differentiating ? I have looked at the pics on Flying fish express, Fishbase, and of course these ones here.... and the pics in "The Conscientious......Aquarist". I don't suppose you guys have any pics of these angels in the transition colors? Or other sights with pics.
<Yes, www.WetWebFotos.com has many images.>
Thanks for reading in any case. Regards, Matt
<Have a nice day! -Steven Pro>

Pomacanthus Maculosus or P. Asfur?
Hi WetWebMedia crew! Hope it is ok, I attached a pic.
<No problem!>
I was wondering which species it is, P. maculosus or P. asfur?
<It looks like an Asfur to me.>
Reading the WWM page on differentiating, Bob says how the yellow tail in juvenile is the give-away. However, I have seen loads of pics on TV (documentary on red sea), and nearly every Mac there has a yellow tail.
<Maybe they were Asfurs.>
Mine has a blue bar at the edge of his yellow tail. I haven't seen that in pic of Asfurs. Mine also has the dark blue flecking on his forehead if you look closely. Again I haven't seen that on Asfurs. Finally, mine sometimes tones down his colors to a paler blue, very like the pale blue of adult Maculosus pics I've seen. He is a little under 3" body length (little over 3" including tail). Anyway, your judgment on this would be appreciated. Thanks for taking a look. Regards, Matt
PS. if you guys want a pic for the wet web site.... no problem, because I note you're missing one at a sort of intermediate stage.... or even for wet web photo's.
<This will definitely be posted on the WWM FAQ on Angelfish. Thank you for your generosity. -Steven Pro>