Pomacanthidae (Angelfish)
Classification
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Pomacanthidae |
Geographic Range
Marine Pomacanthidae are commonly found within the tropical regions of the Indian, Atlantic, and western Pacific Oceans.
Physical Characteristics
| Length: | 38 cm - 45 cm |
Most juvenile Angelfishes differ in coloration from mature adults. In the past, this particular characteristic was often the cause of mistakenly classifying these fish as members of the butterflyfish family.
Pomacanthidae have small mouths and continuous doral fins. Their uniquely colorful bodies are covered in small scales. The coloration of the Pomacanthidae family makes them some of the most beautiful and, therefore, some of the most conspicuous fish on the reef, however, they are certainly not the most abundant.
The male Angelfish is believed to have a pointed blue dorsal and anal fins, whereas the female's fins are less blue and are more rounded.
It has not been proven whether this difference is due to size or due to sex, although there is evidence to support a sex-related correlation.
Natural History
Food Habits
Most fish within the Pomacanthidae family primarily feed on sponges. Throughout the various species, common diets range from algae to soft coral to zooplankton. With a protruding jaw and teeth, they scrape their diet from the reef structures. Pomacanthidae are believed to feed continuously throughout the daylight hours.
Reproduction
All species of Pomacanthidae have been determined protogynous hemaphrodites. This means that they all begin life female and as maturation occurs some develop into male Anglefish. Every species also survives within a haremic social system. Within this system there is a dominate male, which resides over 2-5 females and protects a territory of any size from a few square meters to 1,000 square meters.If the dominant male dies then the dominant female of the harem changes into a male and takes control. If a harem becomes too large, it will split and the largest female will become a male.
The Pomacanthidae are are pelagic spawners (which means they spawn in the water column) and take care of their eggs and young.
Behavior
The Pomacanthidus is known to be very territorial and aggressive. Within domestic aquariums or in its native environment on the coral reefs, the adult male fish will defend its own territory by biting at others of its own kind. This aggression is also towards fish which resemble the family in coloration and size.
Habitat
Angelfish are most commonly found amongst sea wreckage or underwater structures such as coral reefs. The coral reefs structures provide the most common habitat because the algae on which Pomancanthidae feed is abundant on coral.Pomacanthidae are most commonly found in waters less than 20 meters deep and are very seldom found in waters deeper than 50 meters.
Conservation/Biodiversity
There are approximately 81* species of Pomacanthidae which are divided into 7 various genera. Thus these fish are a lagre component to the biodiversity of coral reef ecosystems.* The species number varies between sources.
References and Links
| Reference: | Encyclopedia Britannica: Pomacanthidae |
| Reference URL: | http://208.154.71.60/bcom/eb/article/7/0,5716,7637+1+7547,00.html |
| Reference: | Anglefish Family: Pomacanthidae |
| Reference URL: | http://www.btinternet/com/~martytaylor/scuba/fish22.htm |
| Reference: | Saltwater Aquariums: With Stan & Debbie Hauter |
| Reference URL: | http://saltaquarium.about.com/?once=true& |
Image Source
| Reference: | Pomacanthidae |
| Reference URL: | http://www.fishbase.org/images/POMACAT0.gif |
| Entry Author: | Jenny Hamblett | William Smith College | 2003 |