Yellow angelfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellow angelfish |
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Pomacanthus heraldi (Woods & Schultz, 1953) |
The yellow angelfish, also known as Herald's angelfish, is a beautiful fish that lives in the ocean. It's a type of marine angelfish and belongs to a group of fish called Pomacanthidae. You can find this colorful fish swimming in the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes, people even keep them in home aquariums!
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Meet the Yellow Angelfish
This angelfish was named after a person called Earl Stannard Herald. He was a scientist who studied fish. Sadly, he passed away in a scuba diving accident in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California.
What Does a Yellow Angelfish Look Like?
The yellow angelfish is mostly a bright yellowish-orange color. It has a slightly darker, olive-colored patch around its eye. This patch might even have some spots that are the same color as its body.
Its top fin, called the dorsal fin, has 15 strong spines and 15 soft rays. The fin underneath, called the anal fin, has 3 spines and 17 soft rays. This fish can grow up to about 12 centimeters (about 4.7 inches) long. That's roughly the length of a smartphone!
Where Do Yellow Angelfish Live?
The yellow angelfish lives in a very large area of the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. You can find them from southern Japan and Taiwan all the way east to the Tuamotu Islands. They also live south near Australia.
In Australia, they swim around the famous Great Barrier Reef. You can also spot them further south near the Solitary Islands Marine Park in New South Wales. They are also found on some reefs in the Coral Sea.
Yellow Angelfish Habitat and Daily Life
These angelfish usually live in waters that are between 8 and 45 meters (about 26 to 148 feet) deep. They love to hang out on the outer slopes of coral reefs. Sometimes, you might also see them in the calmer waters of lagoon reefs.
Yellow angelfish often live in small groups called harems. Each harem usually has one male fish and one to three female fish. Interestingly, if there's no male around, a female angelfish can actually change into a male! This helps the group survive.
What do they eat? These fish are herbivores, which means they only eat plants. Their favorite food is a type of stringy algae that grows on the reefs.
Yellow Angelfish in Aquariums
Sometimes, you can find the yellow angelfish in the aquarium trade. This means people can buy them to keep as pets in their home fish tanks. Their bright colors make them a popular choice for many fish enthusiasts.
