Today we will talk a little, about the queen angel fish so, if you want to know everything about the aforementioned, we invite you to read the whole article, and above all, we hope you like it.
Table Of Content
Taxonomy
- Phylum: Chordata • Subphylum: Gnathostomata • Class: Actinopterygii • Superorder: Acanthopterygii • Order: Perciforms • Family: Pomacanthidae • Gender: Holacanthus • Species: ciliaris
General Facts about Queen Angel Fish
The queen angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris) is a sea angel fish commonly found near reefs in the warmer sections of the western Atlantic Ocean.
Other common names include blue angel, golden angel and yellow angel. Holacanthus ciliaris shouldn’t be confused with Holacanthus bermudensis or blue angel, despite having very similar aspects. They are two separate species. We invite tou to read our article emperor angel fish to learn about other species of angel fish.
The Queen Angel Fish’s Anatomy
The queen angelfish’s body is very flat, with an elongated, continuous dorsal and anal fin with 9 to 15 spines and 15 to 17 soft rays.
They have a strong spine at the angle of the worpercle (cheek bone) and lack a well-developed pelvic axillary process (fleshy bump at the base of the pelvic fin).
Queen angelfish average 45 cm in length and 1.6 kg in mass. Males are generally larger than females.
We invite you to read our article the anatomy of fish to learn more about such a topic.
Body Color
In general, the color of the queen’s angel body varies from blue to blue-green with the yellow edges on its scales.
Its pectoral and ventral fins are also yellow, but its lips and the edges of its dorsal and anal fins are dark blue.
It’s also known that the queen angel fish has blue marks around each gill cover.
Juveniles have dark blue bodies with yellow lips, gills and tail and vertical bars that range from light blue to white.
What Do Queen Angel Fish Feed On?
Queen angelfish feeds mainly 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.
However, in home aquariums, aquarists have succeeded in providing these wonderful fish with a diet of fleshy and seaweed-based foods.
Habitat
The queen angelfish inhabits reefs and are common near Florida, especially the Keys, and also the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico. They’re rarely seen in the Bermuda triangle and extends as far south as Brazil and as far north as Long Island.
How Do Queen Angel Fish Reproduce?
When it comes to reproduction, adult queen angel fish are found in pairs throughout the year, perhaps suggesting a long-term monogamous bond.
Couples reproduce by rising in the water, putting their bellies together and releasing clouds of sperm and eggs.
The female can release anywhere from 25 to 75,000 eggs every night and up to 10 million eggs during each spawning cycle.
The eggs are transparent, buoyant and pelagic, floating in the water column.
They hatch after 15 to 20 hours in larvae that lack eyes, fins or even effective intestines.
The large yolk sac is absorbed after 48 hours, during which time the larvae develop normal characteristics of free swimming fish.
The larvae are found in the water column and feed on plankton. The larvae grow rapidly and about 3 to 4 weeks after hatching and 15 or 20 millimeters long, it sits at the bottom.
Queen Angel Fish in Aquariums
In an aquarium, the angel queen fish is considered a species of moderate difficulty and, therefore, is not suitable for inexperienced aquarists.
It’s a moderately aggressive species that requires a large aquarium. Most aquarists recommend a minimum tank size from 550 l to 680 l.
The queen angel can harass other fish, particularly angels of similar size. It must be the last fish added to any system.
It’s not a fish that is safe for a reef aquarium, since larger specimens can cut corals, particularly stony or soft, and ornamental invertebrates. We invite you to read our article fish for fish tanks to learn about how to build and maintain your own aquarium
Regarding the conditions that must be maintained in the aquarium for its optimal conditions we have:
√ Salinities of 1,023
√ Temperatures between 24 and 28 ° C
√ Frozen foods and some vegetable supplements
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