Blue Angelfish, Pomacanthus semicirculatus (Cuvier 1831)


Other Names: Blue Angel, Half-circled Angelfish, Koran Angelfish, Semicircle Angelfish, Zebra Angel-fish

A Blue Angelfish, Pomacanthus semicirculatus, on Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Source: Rick Stuart-Smith / Reef Life Survey. License: CC by Attribution

Summary:
A dusky brownish-green angelfish with a paler yellowish-green midsection peppered with blue spots, rear of body with yellowish spots, blue fin margins, and pale yellow lips. Juveniles are dark blue with narrow electric blue and white curved bars, blue fin margins, and no concentric rings.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2023, Pomacanthus semicirculatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 19 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/655

Blue Angelfish, Pomacanthus semicirculatus (Cuvier 1831)

More Info


Distribution

Widespread in the Australia EEZ from Rottnest Island, Western Australia, and Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, around the tropical north to at least Sydney, on the east coast, with juveniles south to at least Merimbula, New South Wales; also Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean, and Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. Elsewhere, the species occurs throughout the Indo-west Pacific.

Inhabits reefs with rich coral growth to a depth of 40 m. Juveniles usually on shallow protected reefs. Usually singly or in pairs.

Feeding

Feeds on sponges, tunicates and algae.

Etymology

The specific name semicirculatus is from the Latin semi- (= half) and circulatus (=  circled), in reference to the narrow semicircular lines on the rear part of the body in juveniles.

Species Citation

Holacanthus semicirculatus Cuvier, 1831, Hist. Nat. Poiss. 7: 252. Type locality: East Indies.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2023

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Blue Angelfish, Pomacanthus semicirculatus (Cuvier 1831)

References



Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls.

Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.


Allen, G.R., Steene, R. & Allen, M. 1998. A Guide to Angelfishes & Butterflyfishes. Cairns : Odyssey Publishing/Tropical Reef Research 250 pp. figs.

Allen, G.R., Steene, R.C. & Orchard, M. 2007. Fishes of Christmas Island. Christmas Island : Christmas Island Natural History Association 2 edn, 284 pp.

Allen, G.R. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls.

Coleman, N. 1974. Australian Marine Fishes in Colour. Sydney : A.H. & A.W. Reid 108 pp.

Cuvier, G.L. 1831, in Cuvier, G.L. & Valenciennes, A. Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Paris : Levrault Vol. 7 531 pp. pls 170-208.

Francis, M. 1993. Checklist of the coastal fishes of Lord Howe, Norfolk, and Kermadec Islands, southwest Pacific Ocean. Pacific Science 47(2): 136-170 figs 1-2

Gloerfelt-Tarp, T. & Kailola, P.J. 1984. Trawled Fishes of Southern Indonesia and Northwest Australia. Jakarta : Dir. Gen. Fish. (Indonesia), German Tech. Coop., Aust. Dev. Ass. Bur. 406 pp.


Grant, E.M. 1975. Guide to Fishes. Brisbane : Queensland Government, Co-ordinator General’s Department 640 pp.

Hoschke, A., Whisson, G. & Moore, G.I. 2019. Complete list of fishes from Rottnest Island. pp. 150-161 in Whisson, G. & Hoschke, A. (eds). The Rottnest Island fish book. 2nd ed. Perth, Western Australia : Aqua Research and Monitoring Services.


Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Biodiversity of shallow reef fish assemblages in Western Australia using a rapid censusing technique. Records of the Western Australian Museum 20: 247-270.

Johnson, J.W. 2010. Fishes of the Moreton Bay Marine Park and adjacent continental shelf waters, Queensland, Australia. pp. 299-353 in Davie, P.J.F. & Phillips, J.A. Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Marine Biological Workshop, The Marine Fauna and Flora of Moreton Bay. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 54(3)

Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp.

Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland 433 pp.


Kuiter, R.H., Debelius, H. & Tanaka, H. 2003. Pomacanthidae, a Comprehensive Guide to Angelfishes. Melbourne : Zoonetics 206 pp.

Kuiter, R.H. & Tonozuka, T. 2001. Pictorial guide to Indonesian reef fishes. Part 2. Fusiliers - Dragonets, Caesionidae - Callionymidae. Australia : Zoonetics pp. 304-622.


Marshall, T.C. 1964. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coastal Waters of Queensland. Sydney : Angus & Robertson 566 pp. 136 pls.

Pyle, R. 2001. Chaetodontidae, Pomacanthidae. pp. 3224-3286 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 5 2791-3379 pp.

Pyle, R., Myers, R., Rocha, L.A. & Craig, M.T. 2010. Pomacanthus semicirculatus. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. . Downloaded on 17 April 2014.

Randall, J.E. 2005. Reef and shore fishes of the South Pacific. New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press 707 pp.


Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 507 pp. figs.

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.

Sainsbury, K.J., Kailola, P.J. & Leyland, G.G. 1985. Continental Shelf Fishes of Northern and North-Western Australia. Canberra : Fisheries Information Service 375 pp. figs & pls.

Steene, R.C. 1978. Butterfly and Angelfishes of the World. Australia. Sydney : A.H. & A.W. Reed Vol. 1 144 pp. 216 figs.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37365080

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Depth:1-40 m

Fishing:Aquarium fish

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:40 cm SL

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Species Maps

CAAB distribution map