Queen angelfish
| Queen angelfish | |
|---|---|
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| Adult Queen angelfish | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Pomacanthidae |
| Genus: | Holacanthus |
| Species: | H. ciliaris |
| Binomial name | |
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Holacanthus ciliaris (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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The queen angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris) is a marine angelfish commonly found near reefs in the warmer sections of the western Atlantic Ocean. Other common names include blue angelfish, golden angelfish, queen angel, and yellow angelfish.Holocanthus ciliaris should not be confused with Holocanthus bermudensis, or the (Bermuda) blue angelfish, despite very similar appearances. They are two separate species.
The adult queen angelfish overall body color can be described as blue to blue-green with yellow rims on its scales. Their pectoral and ventral fins are also yellow but their lips and the edges of their dorsal fins and anal fins are dark blue. Queen angelfish are also known to have blue markings around each gill cover. Juveniles have dark blue bodies with yellow lips, gills, and tail and vertical bars ranging in color from light blue to white. The colors of the juvenile fish help them to blend in with the reefs. The queen angelfish may live up to 15 years in the wild and reach up to 45 centimeters (17 inches) in length. Queen angelfish are about three and a half pounds.
The queen angelfish feeds primarily on sponges, but also feeds on tunicates, jellyfish, and corals as well as plankton and algae. Juveniles serve as "cleaners" and feed on the parasites of larger fish at cleaning stations. Although in home aquariums, aquarists have been successful in providing the queen angelfish a diet of meaty and algae based foods.
Queen angelfish inhabit reefs and are common near Florida, especially the Florida Keys, and also the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico. It is rarely seen in the Bermuda Triangle and ranges as far south as Brazil and as North as Long Island.
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Wikipedia