Fun Clarion Angelfish Facts For Kids

Clarion angelfish (Holacanthus clarionensis) are a marine angelfish species that belong to the Pomacanthidae family. These fish, unlike freshwater angelfish, are brightly colored and make great additions to tank or aquarium setups. The clarion angelfish is widely regarded as one of the prettiest angelfish species thanks to its bright orange color body.

This species is endemic to the Mexican regions and their trade has been deemed illegal in various parts of Mexico due to their decline in population which has led these species to be categorized as Vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List.

As of now, the population is estimated to be stable owing to the strict rules and regulations placed for their protection.

If you liked these true facts about Clarion angelfish, then you'll surely like these facts about red cornetfish and catfish too!

Clarion Angelfish Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Clarion angelfish?

A Clarion angelfish (Holacanthus clarionensis) is a small-medium-sized fish species that is a popular pet fish species, either taken from the natural habitat range of the Revillagigedo Islands and the Baja California water bodies mainly in the Pacific Ocean or captive-bred in high-quality fish farms.

What class of animal does a Clarion angelfish belong to?

Clarion angelfish, like most angelfish species, belong to the Actinopterygii class of animals that consists of ray-finned or bony fish species. These angelfish belong to the family Pomacanthidae.

How many Clarion angelfish are there in the world?

The exact population count of these marine fish species is currently unavailable due to them being endemic to the Revillagigedo Islands where 99% of the total population of this fish species can be found, and as of now, are estimated to be at a stable population range in their marine ecosystem.

There are is a small vagrant population of about 20 clarion angelfish near the marine ecosystem of Clipperton Island living in the rocky reefs.

Where does a Clarion angelfish live?

The Clarion angelfish (Holacanthus clarionensis) is a tropical marine fish species that are endemic to the Pacific waters of the Revillagigedo Islands of Mexico. A vagrant population can be found in Clarion Island, central Baja, and the southern tip of Baja California.

In their natural range, these fish can be found at a depth of 9.8-98.4 ft (3-30 m) foraging for foods like algae and small invertebrates and living spaces, like rocky reefs that are rich in coral growth.

Since the Clarion angelfish is a popular pet fish in tank or aquarium setups, it is also specifically captive-bred in high-quality fish farms for the pet fish trade.

What is a Clarion angelfish's habitat?

The Clarion angelfish is a poorly studied member of the family Pomacanthidae, due to which there is not much data on the habitat range in their marine ecosystem.

It is, however, known that these species thrive in clear water rocky reefs in the Pacific Ocean that have an abundance of coral and algae, as algae is a major part of the diet of this fish.

Who do Clarion angelfish live with?

Clarion angelfish (Holacanthus clarionensis) species are solitary fish and can often be found living alone in the Pacific waters thriving in areas that are abundantly rich in coral and algae formations. They can also be found in small gatherings especially during the breeding season.

These fish spend most of their days feeding on foods like algae and small invertebrates.

How long does a Clarion angelfish live?

The lifespan of the Clarion angelfish is estimated to be around 10 years in the wild.

How do they reproduce?

Since these species have not been researched thoroughly, it is difficult to estimate any information regarding their sexual maturity, pregnancy, or incubation length, or the number of eggs the females lay.

What is their conservation status?

Even though the population of this fish is stable, they have been listed as a Vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List.

These fish have a protected region specifically assigned by the Revillagigedo Islands as their collection from the rich coral reef waters is considered illegal. Due to this, they have been captive-bred and sold in the pet fish trade.

Clarion Angelfish Fun Facts

What do Clarion angelfish look like?

Clarion angelfish (Holacanthus clarionensis), like most angelfish species, have a compressed body that has various color palettes. Generally, they are brownish-orange and have heads that are dark brown.

An orange band can be found behind the head with a clearly visible orange caudal fin. These fish have bristle-like teeth and long spines can be found on the gill covers which they use to defend themselves from predators in the water.

They also have 17-19 rays and 14 spines on their dorsal fin. The anal and dorsal fin are colored and straight which are topped off by rough scales.

How cute are they?

These fish are playful and active and will become the life of an aquarium with their bright orange color tone which makes them rather cute compared to some of the duller angelfish species like the altum angelfish.

How do they communicate?

Clarion angelfish communicate with each other through visual, chemical, and acoustic methods.

How big is a Clarion angelfish?

Clarion angelfish are small-medium sized and a full-grown adult has a body length of 7.8-11.8 in (19.8-30 cm). They are three to four times larger than the smallest angelfish species known as the dwarf angelfish that have a body length of only 1.9 in (4.8 cm).

How fast can a Clarion angelfish swim?

The movement speed of the Clarion angelfish is unknown.

How much does a Clarion angelfish weigh?

There is no sufficient data to estimate the bodyweight of this species.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names assigned to either a male or female Clarion angelfish.

What would you call a baby Clarion angelfish?

A baby Clarion angelfish is called a fry. After growing to a certain stage, they are called juveniles.

Juveniles, too, have a compressed body and are a brownish-orange color tone, and have blue stripes that can be found on the bodies of their bodies. Adults lack these blue stripes that are visible on the juveniles.

What do they eat?

In the wild, Clarion angelfish (Holacanthus clarionensis) mostly feed on algae, which is a large part of their diet. These fish are omnivores and also feed on small invertebrates and in some cases, latch onto the bodies of stingrays and eat the parasites off of their skin.

Are they dangerous?

These fish are not really dangerous as they are neither poisonous nor venomous. However, it is recommended to handle them with care as they have sharp spines on the gill covers of their compressed bodies which can cause cuts.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes! Clarion angelfish (Holacanthus clarionensis) are considered to be exotic pets as they are hardy fish that do not need much care and will thrive in any community tank or aquarium setup.

If you are looking forward to adding a Clarion angelfish to your community aquarium setup, be prepared to fork out at least $15,000 USD! This price makes this fish an extremely costly pet species.

Did you know...

Angelfish are best kept with their own kind in an aquarium setup.

It is tough to differentiate between male and female angelfish as they are identical to each other.

In the wild, bright-colored angelfish mix in with the corals and camouflage themselves for protection against predators.

Pet angelfish can often recognize their owners!

Some saltwater angelfish species form a harem with a single male mating with multiple females.

What is the rarest angelfish?

Black phantom angelfish are considered to be the rarest angelfish species. They are found in the northern regions of the Philippines.

These fish have a velvety texture to their body that is covered with dark black scales. Their face is yellow mixed with grey patterns and the end of the body has a bright yellow color tone to it that ends with the tail.

Can saltwater angelfish be kept together?

Saltwater angelfish are extremely territorial in nature and will become aggressive towards other species. Hence, it is recommended to keep your angelfish in one aquarium, a combination of angelfish is only recommended if you have a large aquarium.

If you want to keep a mixture of different species in your aquarium, you should first put the other species in the aquarium and slowly add your angelfish. This process will help them live together as your angelfish cannot declare the aquarium as its own area.

Angelfish can be kept with a variety of other species like tetras, for example, the black phantom tetra, or species of mollies, platies, and cichlids.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these giant guitarfish facts and giant frogfish facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable forktail rainbowfish coloring pages.

Second image by Elias Levy