Blue angelfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blue angelfish |
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The blue angelfish (Holacanthus bermudensis) is a beautiful fish. It is also known as the Bermuda blue angelfish. This fish is a type of marine angelfish. It belongs to the family called Pomacanthidae. You can find it in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean.
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About the Blue Angelfish
The blue angelfish has a deep, oval-shaped body. It is very flat from side to side. Its snout is short, and its mouth is small. Inside its mouth, it has tiny teeth that look like brush bristles.
How They Look: Young vs. Adult
Young blue angelfish look different from adults.
- Young fish: The front part of their body is yellowish. This changes to brownish-yellow further back. Their tail, side fins, and pelvic fins are bright yellow. They also have several white stripes on their body. The edges of their top fin and anal fin are bright blue.
- Adult fish: Their body is bluish-yellow. Their face is a bright yellow. They have blue highlights on their chest and forehead. Their side fins are blue and yellow. The tail fin has yellow edges. The top and anal fins also have yellow edges. These fins have long yellow streamers too.
The top fin has 15 stiff spines and 19 to 21 soft rays. The anal fin has 3 spines and 20 to 21 soft rays. This fish can grow up to 45 centimeters (about 18 inches) long.
Where Blue Angelfish Live
You can find the blue angelfish in the western Atlantic Ocean. They live from North Carolina to Bermuda. They are also found in the Bahamas and Florida. Their range extends into the Gulf of Mexico and to Yucatan, Mexico. In the east, they live near Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
These fish live close to the seabed. They prefer areas with sponges, coral, or rocks. They can be found at depths from 2 to 93 meters (about 6 to 305 feet). Blue angelfish are active during the day. At night, they hide within the reef. Young fish like calmer places. They often live in bays, channels, and reefs close to shore.
What Blue Angelfish Eat
Blue angelfish mostly eat sponges. Sometimes, they also eat tunicates, corals, and algae. Young blue angelfish act as cleaner fish. They eat tiny parasites from the skin of other fish. These other fish visit special "cleaning stations." Blue angelfish can make loud thumping sounds. Scientists think these sounds might scare away predators. They might also get the attention of other angelfish.
Blue Angelfish Reproduction and Life Cycle
Adult blue angelfish are usually seen in pairs. They stay together all year long. This suggests that they are monogamous, meaning they have one partner.
How They Spawn
When it's time to breed, the pairs swim slowly upwards. They move their bellies close together. Then, they release many eggs and sperm. The female can lay between 25,000 and 75,000 eggs at one time. She might lay up to 10 million eggs in one breeding season. Each egg is clear and floats in the water. They have a small amount of oil inside to help them float.
From Egg to Fish
The eggs hatch in about 15 to 20 hours. The newly hatched fish are very tiny. They have a large yolk sac for food. They do not have working fins, eyes, or a gut yet. After about 48 hours, the yolk is gone. The tiny fish then start to eat plankton. They grow very quickly. In 3 to 4 weeks after hatching, they settle down on the seabed.
Young angelfish are very territorial. They protect the areas where they have set up a cleaning station. Their bright, contrasting colors might tell other fish that a cleaning station is open for business.
Blue Angelfish and People
The blue angelfish is not a big commercial fish. However, it is very popular in the aquarium trade. Many people like to keep them in their home fish tanks.
Images for kids
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A blue angelfish swimming in the ocean.
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Map showing where the blue angelfish lives.
