Creature Feature – Queen Angelfish
This week on Creature Feature Friday we take a detailed look at the Queen Angelfish.
Their royal title comes from their speckled, blue-ringed black spot on their head, which resembles a crown. Electric blue bodies and luscious yellow tails, this is a striking species, one of the most colourful of all reef fishes. Despite this bold colour scheme, their colouration actually helps them to blend in with the reef!
Taxonomy
Scientific Name: Holacanthus ciliaris
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Perciformes
Family: Pomacanthidae
Genus: Holacanthus
© Pedro Lastra
Queen Angelfish Fact File
Size: Individuals can measure up to 45cm long and weigh up to 1.6kg
Distribution: This species is found in mature coral reef systems in the Western Atlantic Ocean from Bermuda to Brazil and the Caribbean
Diet: Individuals eat a variety of foods on the coral reefs in which they are found. This includes sponges, algae, tunicates, anemones, coral, and loose fragments of organic matter
Behaviour: A shy fish species, individuals are found alone or in pairs
IUCN Status: Least Concern. Despite populations estimated to be currently stable, human activity poses a threat to their long-term survival. They are highly prized in the aquarium trade and are affected by climate change, due to the destruction of their habitat (coral reefs)
