Angelfishes
Queen Angelfish
Holacanthus ciliaris
Species Overview
Brilliant, iridescent blue and yellow; large adults purplish blue with yellow-orange scale edges; tail and pectoral fins entirely yellow; black forehead 'crown' spot dotted and ringed with electric blue; blue spot at pectoral-fin base.
- Size
- Typically 20-35 cm (8-14 in) per ReefGuide; common length 30 cm TL; maximum recorded 45 cm TL (18 in), weight 1.6 kg (FishBase).
- Depth range
- 1-70 m (FishBase).
- Habitat
- Near the bottom on coral reefs, moving among sea fans, sea whips and corals; juveniles favour offshore reefs.
- Diet
- Almost exclusively sponges, with small amounts of algae, tunicates, hydroids and bryozoans (FishBase); juveniles clean parasites from other fishes.
- Range
- Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida, Bermuda and Gulf of Mexico (ReefGuide); western Atlantic from Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to Brazil, plus St Paul's Rocks in the central Atlantic (FishBase).
Life stages
Juvenile (ReefGuide photo): dark blue with yellow tail, yellow around the pectoral fins and curved blue vertical bars, gradually changing to adult colors; settles at 15-20 mm (Florida Museum).
Explore reef conservation
Learn about Caribbean reef habitats, invasive lionfish and the work of the Caribbean Reef Fish Foundation.
TL means total length; SL excludes the tail fin; FL measures to the tail fork. These measurements are not interchangeable.