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Blue Angelfish
Pomacanthus semicirculatus Cuvier, 1831
Above and below: A Blue Angelfish at a depth of 6 m, North West Island, Queensland, November 2004. Photo © S. Schulz. View larger image.
A Blue Angelfish at a depth of 10 m, Century Bay, Ribbon Reef #3, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, February 2005. Photo © Á. Lumnitzer. View larger image.
The Blue Angelfish has a deep compressed body. It is yellow to brownish with small blue spots on body. There is a bright blue ring around the eye. The preopercular spine and margins of the operculum and preoperculum are bright blue. The margins of the ventral fins and median fins fins are bright blue.
It grows to 38 cm in length.
This species occurs in coral reef and inshore waters of the Western Indian Ocean to the Central Pacific.
In Australia it is known from south-western Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to southern New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
The Blue Angelfish has also been called the Half-circled Angelfish, Koran Angelfish, Semicircle Angelfish and Zebra Angel-fish.
Related links
- Blue-ringed Angelfish fact sheet
- Emperor Angelfish fact sheet
- View the Angelfishes list
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of Northwestern Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics. Pp. 330.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
