ANIMAL: Queen Angelfish Holacanthus ciliaris Type of Animal: Marine Angelfish Habitat: Coral reefs, rocky ledges, rocky reefs, seagrass beds, at depths of up to 230 ft Location(s): W Atlantic from SE Georgia through Gulf of Mexico & Caribbean all way to S Brazil Appearance: Broad flattened oval-shaped body, adults blue w/ yellow scales, electric blue dorsal/anal fins, bright yellow tail, dark ringed crown area on forehead, shades of blue/yellow/purple/orange (very colorful fish), juveniles dark blue w/ vertical white bars, yellow tail, yellow segment around pectoral fins Food/Diet: Sponges, algae, tunicates, jellyfish, corals, plankton, brine shrimp, mysid shrimp, hydroids, bryozoans, vegetable matter, krill, anemones, seaweed, clams, squid, fish. Juveniles clean parasites/loose scales off larger fish as well as adult diet. Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in aquariums & aquaculture Lifestyle: Adults found in small harems of a male w/ 1-4 females or alone, juveniles more solitary Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young: Fry Group: School Weight: Male: 3.5 lbs Female: 2.8 lbs Gestation: 1 day Life Span: 15 years Height: Male: 8 in Female: 6 in Body Length: Male: 1.46 ft Female: 1.1 ft Young: 0.8 in Main predators are larger fish, sharks, & marine mammals. Courtship involves male showing side to female & flicking pectoral fins at her. Eggs/sperm released into water column simultaneously, then swimming in circles & rising in water. Larvae reach juvenile stage at 1 month old. Juveniles act as cleaner fish, setting up cleaning stations where they remove parasites/loose scales from larger fish-some of these fish even being potential predators. Example of mutualism-juvenile angelfish gets meal & client is healthier. Active during day (diurnal). Also called Blue Angelfish, Golden Angelfish, & Yellow Angelfish. Most often spawn near full moon. Very popular in aquarium trade. Females discharge up to 75,000 eggs per day in spawning period. These fish spawn year-round. Dorsal/ventral fin lends stability in swimming, tail fin helps it propel through water, & pectoral fins for locomotion/side-to-side movement. These fish secrete skin mucus providing protection against parasites/infections & helping them move through water faster. Fun Fact(s): Like all marine angelfish, these fish born female w/ more dominant/larger females becoming males. This most often occurs when no dominant male around so high-ranking female becomes male. These fish very difficult to breed in captivity. Sometimes interbreed w/ closely related Bermuda Blue Angelfish in areas where range overlaps. These hybrids known as Townsend Angelfish.
