Apolemichthys trimaculatus

Threespot angelfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Pomacanthidae
Genus: Apolemichthys
Species: A. trimaculatus
Binomial name
Apolemichthys trimaculatus
Cuvier, 1831[1]
Synonyms

Holacanthus trimaculatus Cuvier, 1831

Apolemichthys trimaculatus, also known as the threespot angelfish, is a demersal marine fish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae or commonly called angelfishes.

Description

Apolemichthys trimaculatus is a small sized fish which grows up to 26 cm. Its body has a stock appearance, oval shape, strongly compressed laterally with a strong preopercle spine.[2] The body coloration is bright yellow with three dark spots: one on the forehead, and one on each side close to the opercles at the eye level. There is a greyish blotch between the eyes. The lips are blue and the preopercle spine is light bluish grey. All the fins are yellow excepts the anal fin which is whitish with a large black margin. Juveniles have a false eye-spot at the base of the soft dorsal fin and a thin black line over the head, running through the eye.[3]

Distribution

The threespot angelfish is widely distributed throughout the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean and wertern Pacific Ocean.[4]

Habitat

This species inhabits lagoon, coral reef, along steep slopes from surface until 80 m depth. Juveniles occur below 25 m.[5]

Feeding

Their diet consists mainly in sponges and tunicates.[6]

Behaviour

Threespot angelfish has a diurnal activity. It is protogynous hermaphrodite, which means the female can evolved to male during its life, and lives in harem composed of two to seven females for a male and it's a territorial fish.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Bailly, N. (2013). Apolemichthys trimaculatus (Cuvier, 1831). In: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2013) FishBase. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=211787 on 2013-05-28
  2. ↑ http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Apolemichthys-trimaculatus.html
  3. ↑ http://eol.org/pages/204716/details#diagnostic_description
  4. ↑ http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/165835/0
  5. ↑ http://eol.org/pages/204716/details#habitat
  6. ↑ http://eol.org/pages/204716/details
  7. ↑ Lieske & Myers,Coral reef fishes,Princeton University Press, 2009, ISBN 9780691089959
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