Yellowbar angelfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellowbar angelfish |
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The yellowbar angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosus) is a beautiful marine fish. It is also known as the half-moon angelfish, yellow-marked angelfish, yellowband angelfish, or yellow-blotched angelfish. This fish belongs to the angelfish family, Pomacanthidae. You can find it mainly in the western Indian Ocean. Recently, it has also been seen in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
What They Look Like
The yellowbar angelfish has a body that is tall and flat, like a disc. It has a small mouth with tiny, brush-like teeth. There is a clear spine near its gill cover. Adult angelfish have long, flowing parts on their top (dorsal) and bottom (anal) fins. These parts can reach past their tail fin.
Adults are mostly brownish-blue. Each scale has a blue edge, making the fish look very blue overall. They have a bright yellow bar that is not perfectly straight near the middle of their body. Closer to their head, they have dark blue, tall spots. Their tail fin is pale yellow with wavy blue lines.
Young angelfish look quite different! They are mostly black with many curved, blue lines going up and down their body. They also have three wider white lines. Only the back part of their tail fin is yellow. This fish can grow up to 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) long.
Where They Live
You can find the yellowbar angelfish in the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman. Since 2008, it has also been spotted a few times in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Sometimes, these fish are seen far from their usual homes, like off the coasts of Florida and Brazil. This usually happens when people release them from aquariums.
Life in the Ocean
The yellowbar angelfish lives in waters that are between 4 and 50 meters (about 13 to 164 feet) deep. It is a shy fish that prefers to live alone. You will often find it in calm areas where there is a mix of coral and soft sand or mud.
These angelfish mostly eat sponges and tunicates (small sea creatures). But they will also eat other small animals if they get the chance. Female angelfish are ready to have babies when they are about 5.5 years old and around 21.6 centimeters long. These fish can live for a long time, sometimes up to 36 years! Divers have noticed that these fish are quite curious and not afraid of people.
Yellowbar angelfish are special because they are protogynous hermaphrodites. This means that older females can change their sex and become males if there are not enough males around. Their babies start as tiny creatures that float in the ocean, called plankton.
Angelfish and Humans
People sometimes collect the yellowbar angelfish to keep in home aquariums. In some parts of the Persian Gulf, you might even see them for sale in fish markets. They are sometimes eaten as food in those areas.
