Holacanthus bermudensis

Biology and range

Its body and fins are blue-grey, with yellow outer edges on the pectoral and tail fins and yellow filaments on the dorsal and anal fins.^[4] It is found in the western Atlantic from North Carolina to Bermuda, the Bahamas, Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Yucatan, and east to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.^[3] Adult fish display a body that is bluish-yellow and a face that is bright yellow.^[5] Young fish have a yellowish front half of the body that shifts to a brownish-yellow color toward the rear.^[5]

The largest recorded total length for this species is 45 cm.^[5][4] This angelfish lives near the ocean floor in habitats with sponges, coral, or rock, found at depths ranging from 2 to 93 meters.^[6] Sponges make up the bulk of its food, but it will also eat tunicates, corals, and algae on occasion.^[7][1] Young individuals serve as cleaner fish, removing external parasites from other fish at shared cleaning sites.^[7]

Mature fish are typically seen in pairs throughout the year, a behavior that suggests they are monogamous.^[7]

What the specialist sources record

The Discover Fish account notes that Holacanthus bermudensis resembles a subdued version of its iridescent relative, the queen angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris).^[1] According to the Saltcorner! account, the blue angelfish is closely related to the queen angelfish and commonly crossbreeds with it.^[8] The Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean account describes the adult as having no black and blue ocellus on the nape and no blue spot on the pectoral base.^[4] The Saltcorner! account gives a maximum size of 15 inches (38 cm) for this species.^[8]

According to the same source, this fish can make loud thumping noises believed to scare predators and get attention.^[1][7] That source also mentions that each clear, floating egg has a single oil droplet that helps it stay buoyant.^[1][7]