#holacanthus

[herpsandbirds]

Do you have some VERY blue colored fishies? 💙

Queen Angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris), family Pomacanthidae, order Acanthuriformes, off the coast of Brazil

This fish may be mostly yellow, yellow and blue, and more rarely, all blue.

photographs by Luiz Rocha

[seabeachobjects]

[seabeachobjects]

[seabeachobjects]

[seabeachobjects]

[libutron]

Queen Angelfish 

Holacanthus ciliaris (Perciformes - Pomacanthidae), commonly known as Queen Angelfish, is one of the most beautiful reef fish in the ocean. Their bodies are highly compressed and their heads are blunt and rounded. Queen angelfishes have one long dorsal fin running along the top of their bodies. 

Holacanthus ciliaris inhabits coral reefs in tropical western Atlantic waters from Bermuda to Brazil, Central America and in the Caribbean.

Queen angelfishes have been associated with ciguatera poisoning, which is caused by the accumulation of ciguatoxins in the flesh of tropical marine fishes. Ciguatoxins, produced by marine dinoflagellates, grow on algae and are ingested by herbivorous fishes. Larger fish also accumulate the toxin by feeding on smaller herbivorous fishes and become reservoirs of toxic levels (to humans) of ciguatoxin. Signs and symptoms include gastrointestinal problems, weakness in the arms and legs, and trouble distinguishing between hot and cold. Ciguatera poisoning can last for several weeks.

Reference: [1]

Photo credit: ©Courtney Platt

Locality: Grand Cayman

[libutron]

Peces Reina by Jordi Diez

Queen Angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris). Dominican Republic.