Blackstriped angelfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blackstriped angelfish |
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Holacanthus lamarck Lacépède, 1802 |
The blackstriped angelfish, also called Lamarck's angelfish, is a beautiful marine fish. Its scientific name is Genicanthus lamarck. This fish is a type of marine angelfish and lives in the Indo-West Pacific ocean.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
Adult blackstriped angelfish are usually light grey or white. They have 4 to 5 wavy black stripes along their bodies. These stripes start near their eyes and go all the way to their tails.
There's a wide black band on the top fin, called the dorsal fin. Their tail fin often has small spots. The top stripe is wider on female fish and young fish.
Male vs. Female Angelfish
Male blackstriped angelfish have a yellow spot on their head. Their bottom fins, called pelvic fins, are black. They also have very long, flowing parts on their tail fin.
Female angelfish have white pectoral fins (side fins) and black parts on their tail fin. This makes it easy to tell the males and females apart!
This fish can grow up to 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) long.
Where Do They Live?
You can find the blackstriped angelfish in the warm waters of the Indo-West Pacific region. They live from the Gulf of Thailand all the way to the Solomon Islands. They are also found north near southern Japan and south near Australia's Great Barrier Reef. You can also spot them around Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island in the Timor Sea.
Habitat and Life Cycle
Blackstriped angelfish like to live in coral reefs. They are usually found at depths between 10 and 50 meters (about 33 to 164 feet). They prefer areas with lots of coral on the outer parts of reefs or on steep drop-offs.
What Do They Eat?
These angelfish mainly eat tiny floating animals called zooplankton. They swim around, picking these small creatures out of the water.
Social Life and Reproduction
Blackstriped angelfish often live in small groups called harems. A harem usually has one dominant male and 2 to 6 females.
These fish are special because they are "sequential protogynous hermaphrodites." This means they start their lives as females. If the male in a harem disappears, the most dominant female can change sex and become the new male! This helps the group continue to reproduce.
Why Are They Important?
The blackstriped angelfish is a popular choice for home aquariums. Many people enjoy keeping them because of their beautiful stripes and interesting behavior. In some places, like the Moluccas, people also eat them as a special food.
