COMMON NAME: Blue-faced angelfish
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Pomacanthus xanthometopon
LOCAL NAME: Boa reendhoo kokaamas
ORDER: Perciformes
DIET: Carnivore
SIZE: Max. 45 cm
In the Maldives, this is among the most exquisite reef fish. This large, beautiful fish is easy to approach in the Maldives. Most of the time, they are seen alone along reefs with caves in the open water and along deep walls.
Adults are distinguished by their unique color and the golden mask that covers their eyes. Juveniles are like other juveniles in the genus, but their vertical lines are almost straight. They are rarely seen.
There are more than 80 types of anglerfish in a large family. At least 14 of these species have been found in the Maldives. While some species are extremely rare, the likelihood of finding more is high. Small species keep to themselves and are easy to miss.
They are different from butterflyfish, which are closely related, because the lower end of their gill plates has a spine that can be seen. The young stages of all the large Pomacanthus species look the same: the bodies are black with many white lines, and the fins are electric blue.
They change when they are almost half the size of adults and become a completely different colour. This change happens pretty quickly, and forms of it rarely show up. There aren’t many changes in the small Centropyge species as they grow bigger, and they usually become brighter as adults. Most species consume a combination of invertebrates and algae.
Some like algae, especially when they are young, while others may only eat crabs. Genicanthus is the only species that eats plankton. Before settling down in places that are good for their diets, eggs and larvae float on the water for a few weeks. Some species can live up to 50 meters deep, but most live near the surface.
Reference:
Anderson, R. (1997), Fishes of the Maldives. Marine Research Centre
Kuiter, R. (2014), Fishes of the Maldives. Atoll Editions
