Sixbar angelfish

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Sixbar angelfish
Pomacanthus sexstriatus.jpg
Pomacanthus sexstriatus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Pomacanthidae
Genus: Pomacanthus
Species:
P. sexstriatus
Binomial name
Pomacanthus sexstriatus
(Cuvier, 1831)
Synonyms [2]
  • Euxiphipops sexstriatus(Cuvier, 1831)
  • Holacanthus sexstriatusCuvier, 1831

The sixbar angelfish (Pomacanthus sexstriatus), also known as the six banded angelfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found in Indo-Pacific region.

Contents

Description

Pair of Pomacanthus sexstriatus Pomacanthus sexstriatus, pareja.jpg
Pair of Pomacanthus sexstriatus
Video clip

The sixbar angelfish, like other members of the genus Pomacanthus , has juveniles and adults which look quite different. The juveniles have an overall blue black colour broken by many vertical white bands, the anterior bands being rather straight while the posterior bands become increasingly arced as they approach the tail. The adults have an overall colour of brownish-yellow on the body and the median fins, with vivid blue spots. Along the flanks there are 6 vertical bands, the first is whitish and is placed immediately behind the head, the following 5 are black. [3] This species can reach a total body length of about 46 cm (18 in) in the ocean. These angelfishes have 13-14 spines and 18-23 soft rays in the dorsal fin and 3 spines and 18-19 soft rays in the anal fin. [2]

Distribution

The sixbar angelfish is found from Sri Lanka through the Male Archipelago to the Solomon Islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands of Southern Japan and Palau and south to New Caledonia and Australia. [1] In Australia it extends from Shark Bay in Western Australia along the northern coast to the Capricorn and Bunker Group off Queensland. They are also found around the Rowley Shoals and Scott Reef of Western Australia, and Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea. [4]

Habitat and biology

The sixbar angelfish is found at depths between 1 and 60 m (3 ft 3 in and 196 ft 10 in). [1] it is found in coastal, lagoon and outer reef slopes with the adults living in pairs or as solitary individuals where there is a rich growth of corals. The juveniles prefer sheltered inner reefs. [4] when alarmed this species makes loud, grunting sounds. [2] It is a omnivorous species which feeds on macro-algae, sponges and tunicates. [5]

Systematics

The sixbar angelfish was first formally described as Holacanthus sexstriatus in 1831 by the French anatomist Georges Cuvier (1769–1832) with the type locality given as Java. [6] Some authorities place this species in the subgenus Euxiphipops. The specific name sexstriatus means “six banded”, a reference to the six vertical bands along its body. [7]

Utilisation

The sixbar angelfish is occasionally collected for the aquarium trade but only the juveniles are suitable for home aquaria because the adults are too large. [1]

Related Research Articles

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Marine angelfish are perciform fish of the family Pomacanthidae. They are found on shallow reefs in the tropical Atlantic, Indian, and mostly western Pacific Oceans. The family contains seven genera and about 86 species. They should not be confused with the freshwater angelfish, tropical cichlids of the Amazon Basin.

<i>Pomacanthus</i> Genus of fishes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">French angelfish</span> Species of fish

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluering angelfish</span> Species of fish

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock beauty</span> Species of fish

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gray angelfish</span> Species of fish

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<i>Centropyge eibli</i> Species of fish

Centropyge eibli, the blacktail angelfish, red stripe angelfish, orangelined angelfish, or Eibl dwarf angel is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found near reefs in the Indo-Pacific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banded angelfish</span> Species of fish

The banded angelfish, also known as the bandit angelfish and three spine angelfish, is a distinctive species ray-finned fish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is endemic to deeper reefs in Hawaii and the Johnston Atoll.

<i>Pomacanthus asfur</i> Species of fish

Pomacanthus asfur, the Arabian angelfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found in the Western Indian Ocean.

<i>Pomacanthus maculosus</i> Species of fish

Pomacanthus maculosus, the yellowbar angelfish, half-moon angelfish, yellow-marked angelfish, yellowband angelfish or yellow-blotched angelfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found in the western Indian Ocean and, more recently, in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

<i>Pomacanthus zonipectus</i> Species of fish

Pomacanthus zonipectus, the Cortez angelfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is from the Eastern Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.

<i>Pomacanthus semicirculatus</i> Species of fish

Pomacanthus semicirculatus, also known as the semicircled angelfish, Koran angelfish, blue angelfish, zebra angelfish or half-circled angelfish, is a species of ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish, in the family Pomacanthidae. It is found in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.

<i>Chaetodontoplus meridithii</i> Species of fish

Chaetodontoplus meridithii, the Queensland yellowtail angelfish, Meredith's angelfish or yellow-finned angelfish, yellowtail angelfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found off eastern Australia.

<i>Pomacanthus xanthometopon</i> Species of fish

Pomacanthus xanthometopon is a marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae found in shallow parts of the Indo-Pacific. It is commonly known as the blueface angelfish or the yellowface angelfish because of its striking facial colouration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden angelfish</span> Species of fish

Golden angelfish, also known as golden pygmy angelfish or velvet dwarf angel, is a small marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It inhabits shallow reefs in the western Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goldtail angelfish</span> Species of fish

The goldtail angelfish, also known as the earspot angelfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found in the western Indian Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old woman angelfish</span> Species of fish

The old woman angelfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found in the western Indian Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarion angelfish</span> Species of fish

The Clarion angelfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, almost exclusively near islands off the Pacific coast of Mexico.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Pyle, R.; Myers, R.F.; Rocha, L.A.; Craig, M.T. (2010). "Pomacanthus sexstriatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T165840A6145988. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T165840A6145988.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Pomacanthus sexstriatus" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
  3. "Pomacanthus sexstriatus". Saltcorner!. Bob Goemans. 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  4. 1 2 Dianne J. Bray. "Pomacanthus sexstriatus". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  5. Mantyka, Chrystal (20 December 2007). "Macroalgal grazing selectivity among herbivorous coral reef fish". Marine Ecology Progress Series. 352: 177–185. doi: 10.3354/meps07055 . Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  6. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Pomacanthus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  7. Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (21 July 2020). "Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 1): Families LOBOTIDAE, POMACANTHIDAE, DREPANEIDAE and CHAETODONTIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 6 March 2021.