Coral Reef Fishes

The copper-band butterfly fish is a beautiful and elegant species. the large black spot on the back of the upper body looks like an eye and helps to confuse predators. This fish uses its long snout to pick out and feed on coral polyps and tube worms. It is a popular aquarium species, but is delicate and difficult to keep alive.

The saddleback butterflyfish is characterized by the large black marking on its back which somewhat resembles a saddle. The shape of this species resembles that of some angelfish species. The saddleback is not recommended for an invertebrate aquarium, as they will feed on coral polyps and crustaceans.

The queen angelfish is without a doubt the most beautiful of the angelfish species. Young queens resemble a juvenile blue angelfish. But as they grow, they acquire their spectacular blue and yellow markings, with rainbow colors on the edges of their fins. The queen angelfish is found throughout the western Atlantic. It is a grazer, feeding on algae, sponges, and coral.

As with many angelfish species, the gray angelfish undergoes a color change as it grows. The juveniles are black with vertical yellow stripes. As it matures, it looses its color and takes on the grayish appearance of the adult. This angelfish is found in the waters of the Atlantic and Caribbean, where it feeds on algae & sponges.

The rock beauty angelfish is characterized by its black and bright yellow colors. The juvenile of the species is yellow with a small dark spot. In the wild, this species grows to about 2 feet in length. Rock beauties are found in the western Atlantic, where they feed on algae, sponges and coral polyps.