Gray angelfish

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Gray angelfish
Pomacanthus arcuatus 109580400.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Pomacanthidae
Genus: Pomacanthus
Species:
P. arcuatus
Binomial name
Pomacanthus arcuatus
Synonyms [2]
  • Chaetodon arcuatusLinnaeus, 1758
  • Chaetodon lutescens Bonnaterre, 1788
  • Chaetodon quinquecinctus Cuvier, 1829
  • Pomacanthus balteatusCuvier, 1831
  • Pomacanthus cingulatusCuvier, 1831
  • Chaetodon littoricola Poey, 1868

The gray angelfish (Pomacanthus arcuatus), also written as grey angelfish and known in Jamaica as the pot cover, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the marine angelfish family, Pomacanthidae. It is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

Contents

Description

The gray angelfish has a disk-shaped, compressed body with a large head and small snout. The snout has a mouth at its tip, which is filled with small, bristle-like teeth. The preoperculum has a sizable spine at its corner and a smooth vertical edge. [3] The juveniles have a black body marked with five vertical yellow stripes, three on the head and two on the body. The caudal fin has a black blotch which can be elongated or rectangular. Adults are pale grayish in color and covered in black spots. The head is plain pale gray with a white mouth. The dorsal and anal fins frequently show elongated streamers. [4] The dorsal fin contains 9 spines and 31-33 soft rays, while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 23-25 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 60 centimetres (24 in). [2]

Distribution

The gray angelfish is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean from New York to Rio de Janeiro, though it is typically not found north of Florida during the winter. Its range extends to all of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. [1] It has been introduced to Bermuda from the Bahamas. [5]

Habitat and biology

The gray angelfish is found at depths between 3 and 30 metres (9.8 and 98.4 ft) over coral and rocky reefs. [1] Juveniles occur at shallow depths on patch reefs and in seagrass beds. [6]

The gray angelfish is a diurnal species hiding in the reef during the night. They mainly feed on sponges but have also been recorded feeding on algae, as well as tunicates, zoantharians, gorgonians, hydroids, and bryozoans. The juveniles act as cleaner fish, establishing a cleaning station which is visited by a variety of larger fishes for the juvenile gray angelfish to remove and consume their ectoparasites. [6]

In the northern parts of its range, the spawning season occurs in the summer, from April to September. They have been recorded spawning above deep reefs during the early morning. The fish swim a meter or two above the reef and indulge in brief chases. The pair will chase off intruders. When they are ready, the pair swims upwards, bringing their bellies together to release eggs and milt. Females can release between 25,000 and 75,000 eggs. The fish may repeat this process multiple times. The eggs are pelagic and hatch into larvae after 15–20 hours. The larvae live among the plankton until they attain a length of around 15 mm (0.59 in), after which they descend onto the reef where they settle. [6]

Parasites

The gray angelfish has been recorded as a host for the following endoprasitic trematodes Antorchis urna , Cleptodiscus reticulatus , Hamacreadium mutabile , Hapladena megatyphlon , Hexangitrema pomacanthi , Hexangitrema pricei , Phyllodistomum pomacanthi , Pleurogonius candidulus , Pleurogonius mcintoshi , Pyelosomum erubescens and Theletrum fustiforme . Known ectoparasites include the copepods Caligus atromaculatus , Caligus longipedis , Caligus xystercus , Pseudanuretes parvulus and Thysanote pomacanthi . [7]

Systematics

The gray angelfish was first formally described in 1758 as Chaetodon arcuatus by Carolus Linnaeus in the 10th Edition of his Systema Naturae with the type locality given as “Indiis”. [8] When Lacépède created the genus Pomacanthus, he used Linnaeus’s Chaetodon arcuatus as its type species. [9] When Pomacanthus is subdivided into subgenera, this species is placed in the subgenus Pomacanthus. The specific name arcuatus means “bowed”, referring to the curved lines on the body. [10]

Utilisation

The gray angelfish is a popular fish in the aquarium trade. Specimens enter the trade from Florida throughout the year. Between 1995 and 2000 over 12,000 fish of this species entered the trade, which originated in Brazil. The species has been bred in captivity. It is also caught in some areas for food. [1] There have been reports of ciguatera poisoning from consumption of this species. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pomacanthidae</span> Family of fishes

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

Pomacanthus is a genus of marine angelfish that is usually found around reefs and coral. Some of the notable places one can see these vari-coloured fish includes the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Sipidan off the southern coast of Sabah, Malaysia. Generally the patterns and colors of these fish undergo a major transformation from juvenile to adult forms. The juveniles may even appear to be a different species.

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

The emperor angelfish is a species of marine angelfish. It is a reef-associated fish, native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from the Red Sea to Hawaii and the Austral Islands. This species is generally associated with stable populations and faces no major threats of extinction. It is a favorite of photographers, artists, and aquarists because of its unique, brilliant pattern of coloration.

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

The French angelfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It occurs in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

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

The bluering angelfish, also known as the Annularis Angelfish and the Blue King Angelfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is member of the genus Pomacanthus, composed of large marine angelfish.

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

The rock beauty, also known as corn sugar, coshubba, rock beasty, catalineta, and yellow nanny, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.

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

The sixbar angelfish, 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.

<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>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.

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

Centropyge vrolikii, known commonly as the pearlscale angelfish or half black angelfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific.

<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.

<i>Genicanthus personatus</i> Species of fish

Genicanthus personatus the masked angelfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is endemic to Hawaii.

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

Centropyge shepardi, the mango angelfish, Shepard’s angelfish or Shepard’s pygmy angelfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found in the Western Pacific 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.

Genicanthus takeuchii, the spotted angelfish or Takeuchi’s angelfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Pyle, R.; Myers, R.F.; Rocha, L.A.; Craig, M.T. (2010). "Pomacanthus arcuatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T165887A6157789. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T165887A6157789.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Pomacanthus arcuatus" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
  3. ↑ "Species: Pomacanthus arcuatus, Grey angelfish". Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "Pomacanthus arcuatus". Saltcorner!. Bob Goemans. 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  5. ↑ "Pomacanthus arcuatus introduced to Bermuda from Bahamas Date of introduction: 1920s". Food and Agriculture Organization . Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Cathleen Bester. "Pomacanthus arcuatus". Discover Fish. Florida Museum. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  7. ↑ Bailly, Nicolas (2008). "Pomacanthus arcuatus (Linnaeus, 1758)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  8. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Pomacanthus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  9. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Pomacanthidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  10. ↑ 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 28 February 2021.
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