Pomacanthidae

Blaukopf Angelfish ( Pomacanthus xantometopon )

The angelfish ( Pomacanthidae ) are among the most colorful fish at all. They were previously considered a subfamily of butterfly fish ( Chaetodontidae ). Over time, however, it has found so many differences also internal, morphological type, that they were placed in a separate family. There are over 85 species.

Dissemination

Angel fish live in the tropical areas of the world oceans, nine species in the Atlantic, the other in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. Always live in the neighborhood of coral or rocky reefs.

Appearance

Angelfish are usually very colorful, hochrückige and laterally strongly flattened animals. A characteristic feature of the family is a powerful, rear-facing spine, they wear at the lower edge and the gills is often contrasting color. This mandrel is also the safest differentiator to the often quite similar butterfly fish that never wear it. The length of the angelfish is between six and sixty centimeters.

Young angelfish are often colored entirely different. So they can live in the grounds of the ancients, without being expelled because adult angelfish have an aggressive territorial behavior towards conspecifics on. The difference in the color is so great that you kept the young animals for their own species.

Nutrition

Angelfish have very different nutritional strategies. Some are generalists and use a wide range of food algae to small animals, others are specialists and eat, for example, only sponges or algae. The smoke angelfish ( Apolemichthys ) feed almost exclusively on sponges, Lyrakaiserfische ( Genicanthus ) of zooplankton and dwarf angelfish ( Centropyge ) prefer algae.

Young angelfish - in some regions, such as the waters around the Galapagos Islands and adult - often brush bigger fish and eat them the parasites from the skin.

Behavior

Angelfish usually live in pairs or in small harem groups consisting of one male and several females. You have solid grounds, which they defend against rivals in the reef. The territories can in large angelfish over 1000m ² be great in dwarf angelfish may also include only a single stone coral floor. The territories are vigorously defended against competitors. Angelfish of the genus Pomacanthus can thereby produce a very audible " glottal stops ".

Reproduction

Angelfish are proterogyne hermaphrodite. Mature spiders are initially female and convert later in males when needed to. All angelfish spawn after a courtship ritual usually at sunset in the open water. Here, thousands of eggs are released. The larvae hatch after a few hours, are very small, are held by an oil droplet in limbo and have a large yolk sac that serves them in the first few days as a food source. In Hawaii, a breeder has succeeded in the aquarium the offspring of different types of dwarf angelfish ( Centropyge ).

Genera

• Smoke angelfish ( Apolemichthys )
• Dwarf angelfish ( Centropyge )
• Paracentropyge
• Samtkaiserfische ( Chaetodontoplus )
• Lyrakaiserfische ( Genicanthus )
• Angel fish ( Holacanthus )
• Actual angelfish ( Pomacanthus )
• Peacock angelfish ( Pygoplites )

People and angelfish

In aquariums

Angelfish be kept by aquarists in seawater aquaria. One should however keep in mind that the most very large fish, a species-appropriate, natural environment can hardly be offered, since the area requirements of most species are just too great. An exception are as the dwarf angelfish of the genus Centropyge, which are usually only 10-12 cm long and can be kept as a pair in a medium-sized aquarium. However, there is a danger that the angelfish will lay hands on the corals.

Angel fish as food fish

In many African and Asian countries are angelfish, especially large adult specimens of the genus Pomacanthus, eaten by humans.