Marine Angelfish

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 approximately 86 species. They should not be confused with the freshwater angelfish, tropical cichlids of the Amazon River basin.

With their vibrant colours and deep, laterally compressed bodies, Marine Angelfishes are some of the more conspicuous residents of the reef. They most closely resemble the butterflyfishes, a related family of similarly showy reef fish. Marine Angelfish are distinguished from butterflyfish by the presence of strong preopercle spines in the former. This feature also explains the family name Pomacanthidae; from the Greek poma meaning "cover" and akantha meaning "thorn".

Many species of Marine Angelfishes have streamer-like extensions of the soft dorsal and anal fins. The fish have small mouths, relatively large pectoral fins and rounded to lunate tail fins. The largest species, the gray angelfish, Pomacanthus arcuatus, may reach a length of 60 cm; at the other extreme, members of the genus Centropyge do not exceed 15 cm.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomacanthidae - 29.09.2010