Family | Scientific Name | Author | Year | Common Name |
Pomacanthidae | Holacanthus tricolor | (Bloch) | 1795 | Rock Beauty |
Holacanthus tricolor
Unique Characters: Dorsal-fin spines 14 or 15. Dorsal and anal fins extended into filaments. Scales moderate, regularly arranged, less than 50 in lateral series. Juveniles may differ in color and pattern from adults. Dorsal and anal soft fins extend into filaments in adults. Hind margin of preorbital bone without enlarged, posteriorly-directed spines. Moderate to large-sized fishes; juveniles differently colored than adults, most greatly so. Anterior portion of body bright yellow, posterior black; juveniles bright yellow with large black spot ocellated in blue in posterior portion of body above midline.
Similar Species:
Queen Angelfish
Holacanthus ciliaris
Blue Angelfish
Holacanthus bermudensis
Queen Angelfish Holacanthus ciliaris. Dorsal-fin spines 14 or 15. Dorsal and anal fins extended into filaments. Scales moderate, regularly arranged, less than 50 in lateral series. Juveniles may differ in color and pattern from adults. Dorsal and anal soft fins extend into filaments in adults. Hind margin of preorbital bone without enlarged, posteriorly-directed spines. Moderate to large-sized fishes; juveniles differently colored than adults, most greatly so. Body not two-toned yellow and black; juveniles not solid yellow with black ocellated spot. Adults: large black spot on nape bordered with blue and containing blue spots; caudal fin yellow; pectoral-fin base with large blue spot; upper corner of opercle blue. Juveniles: body brownish yellow crossed by blue-white bars, the second of which is curved.
Blue Angelfish Holacanthus bermudensis. Dorsal-fin spines 14 or 15. Dorsal and anal fins extended into filaments. Scales moderate, regularly arranged, less than 50 in lateral series. Juveniles may differ in color and pattern from adults. Dorsal and anal soft fins extend into filaments in adults. Hind margin of preorbital bone without enlarged, posteriorly-directed spines. Moderate to large-sized fishes; juveniles differently colored than adults, most greatly so. Body not two-toned yellow and black; juveniles not solid yellow with black ocellated spot. Adults: no black spot on nape; caudal fin body color and only edged with yellow; pectoral-fin base without large blue spot; upper corner of opercle same color as head. Juveniles: body brownish yellow crossed by blue-white bars, second bar is straight.
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