Queen Angelfish Facts

The scientific name of queen angelfish is Holacanthus ciliaris. Queen angelfish are also referred to with different names such as Queen Angel, Blue Angelfish, Golden Angelfish and Yellow Angelfish. It is the color of this fish which attracts a lot of people to this fish and they opt to have them as aquarium fish at home. These fish are known to grow as big as 45 cm and attain a weight of three and half pounds. The fish gets its name from the blue ringed black spot on its head, which resembles a crown. The different color hues make this fish a striking beauty. There is electric blue combined with blazing yellow and light purple and orange highlights, which makes the fish a sight to behold. Hence, it is also one of the favorites among the fish hobbyists. Having read about the basic information about queen angelfish, we will now turn towards some facts.

Queen Angelfish Facts and Information

The most important of the facts is that the adults of these species of fish differ from the young ones in the looks department. When they are born, they have dark blue bodies and yellow lips, gills and tail. There are also vertical bars present on the back of their body, which may be light blue to white in color. However, when these fish grow up, they shed the look of the bar and attain characteristic appearance. They have rounded heads and their mouths have a beak like structure. Their upper and lower fins stream in a dramatic fashion behind them.

Habitat
The queen angelfish habitat are the coral reefs. They are commonly found from Florida to South America, and are also seen in the West Indies, Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, etc. In other words, they inhabit the warmer sections of the western Atlantic Ocean.

Diet
The diet of queen angelfish is primarily sponges, tunicates and algae. However, they may also be seen feeding on sea fans, soft corals and at times jellyfish as well. The young queen angelfish are often called 'cleaners', as they feed on parasites and clean the surrounding areas.

Social Behavior
The coral beauty angelfish are shy in nature. They are often seen alone. Sometimes they may be spotted in pairs as well, more so when they are mating. However, they are never seen in large groups and forming colonies.

Production
It is commonly seen that queen angelfish have a monogamous bond. They rise up in water and bring their bellies closer and release sperms and eggs. In one spawning cycle, the queen angelfish releases as many as ten million eggs. They take about 15 to 20 hours to hatch into larvae. Among the facts about queen angelfish, an interesting fact is about queen angelfish breeding. Unlike most of the other coral fishes, queen angelfish mate with blue angelfish. Therefore, the offspring have the beautiful combination of colors of both the angelfish and blue angelfish. As a matter of fact, they may be the only species which hybridize in the coral reefs.

Care
Queen angelfish care is a rather difficult task, as they may not be an easy pet. They require larger sized fish tanks as they are prone to territorial fights with species of their own kinds as well as other kinds. They are known to pick up fights with new additions to the aquariums, hence it is recommended to keep them in solitary tanks. If you want to keep them with other fish, then they should be the last ones to be added to the fish tank.

It is important to provide them with sufficient amount of hiding place when they are kept in captivity. At the same time, sufficient amount of space for them to move around in the fish tank is necessary. The water temperature should be maintained around 72 to 78 degree Fahrenheit. You will also have to keep an eye on the amount of nitrate and ammonia in the fish tank, else it can be harmful to the fish.

I hope this write up on 'queen angelfish facts' was of help to you and you were able to find the information you were looking for. Just a word, before I wind this write up. Avoid keeping queen angelfish in reefs or corals, as they are known to nip reef and corals.