Fun Blue Angelfish Facts For Kids

Have you seen a blue colored fish swimming slowly and gracefully in an aquarium? This is none other than Blue Angelfish (holacanthus bermudensis). A Blue Angelfish is a small fish that is seen in the ocean as well as popular among aquarium fish.  There are different species of Blue Angelfish that can be found across their habitat. The Holacanthus ciliaris is also known as Queen Angelfish, Yellow Angelfish or Golden Angelfish.

Here are some fun, engaging and interesting facts about Blue Angelfish that will make you more curious about them. Afterwards, do check our other articles on fangtooth moray eel facts and milkfish facts as well.

What type of animal is a Blue Angelfish?

Blue Angelfish (holacanthus bermudensis) or Bermuda Blue Angel fish is a fish that belongs to the pomacanthidae family. It is a species of marine ray finned fish that occurs in the western Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the most popular aquarium fish which adds beauty to the tank. It is bluish green in color mixed with yellow color. Blue Angel fish are extensively found across Bermuda. Different types of angel bluefishes include platinum Blue Angelfish, electric Blue Angelfish, Philippine Blue Angelfish and cobalt Blue Angelfish.

What class of animal does a Blue Angelfish belong to?

Blue Angelfish (Holacanthus bermudensis) is a benthic species of marine ray finned fish that belong to the actinopterygii class under the pomacanthidae family.  It comes under the order perciformes and its scientific name is Holacanthus bermudensis. Blue Angel fish species can be found in the western Atlantic ocean; Bermuda, Bahama, Gulf of Mexico.

How many Blue Angelfish are there in the world?

There are no accurate and rough estimates of the total number of Blue Angel fish in the world. It is one of the popular aquarium fish as well as seen in a large population in freshwaters.

Where does a Blue Angelfish live?

Blue Angelfish (holacanthus bermudensis) is mostly found in the western Atlantic in the Bahamas and Bermuda and in the east coast of North America from North Carolina to Florida. The Queen Angelfish seen in the Gulf of Mexico and Yucatan.  They prefer living in sheltered areas like bays, channels, and inshore reefs with other species from the same family such as the Queen Angelfish. As this species live together, inter-breeding takes place, resulting the birth of hybrids with shared coloration and behavioral traits of both parents.

What is a Blue Angelfish's habitat?

A Blue Angelfish is mainly found in the western Atlantic Ocean.  They are mostly seen in the Bahamas, Florida and Gulf of Mexico. Queen Angelfish are naturally adaptable and are popular aquarium fish. They are easy to maintain in the aquarium.

Who do Blue Angelfish live with?

A Blue Angelfish usually lives in pairs and remains living together. Queen Angelfish are believed to be monogamous.

How long does a Blue Angelfish live?

As Blue Angelfish is a small marine ray finned fish, its average lifespan is around 20 years. It may vary if given proper care.

How do they reproduce?

Blue Angelfish are usually found in pairs. Queen Angelfish mate by bringing their bellies together which results in the release of many eggs and sperms during the breeding season. Female Blue Angelfish release 25-75 thousand eggs at a time. The eggs are transparent and contain some oily texture to maintain buoyancy. The eggs hatch within 15-20 hours giving birth to the larvae attached to a large yolk sac and lacks functional fins, eyes and gut.  The growth of the juvenile Queen Angel fish larvae is very fast.

What is their conservation status?

Blue Angelfishes are under Least Concern status. Queen Angel fish can be found commonly across their natural habitat and do not face any existential threats. Hence they do not have any conservation requirements at present.

What do Blue Angelfish look like?

A Blue Angelfish is a small marine ray finned fish that belongs to the pomacanthidae family. The body of the Blue Angelfish is oval shaped. It is bluish in color with a mixture of yellow on certain parts. The dorsal and anal fins are blue in color with yellow edges. The dorsal fin comprises 13 spines and 20 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 18-20 soft rays. They have small mouths with small teeth. The face is yellow in color.  Juvenile Blue Angelfish are dark blue in color with yellow streaks but the hybrids of Blue Angelfish and Queen Angelfish can cover a wide spectrum of coloration.

How cute are they?

A Blue Angelfish is a small fish and is one of the more popular aquarium fish. These marine animals look lovely and beautiful to look at. They are very cute and adorable.

How do they communicate?

Even if the fish are in the water, they communicate like other animals. A Blue Angelfish communicates using chemical signals in urine and bile, which is released into the water.

How big is a Blue Angelfish?

An average Platinum Blue Angelfish has a length of 6 in (15 cm)and may grow up to 15 in (38 cm). Platinum Blue Angelfish is a small sized fish and is around 10 times bigger than a worm.

How fast can a Blue Angelfish swim?

A Platinum Blue Angelfish is not a very active swimmer. They prefer to live in slow moving water in the wild.  They swim very slowly.

How much does a Blue Angelfish weigh?

Blue Angelfish is a small sized fish and weighs around 2 lb (0.9 kg) approximately. It may vary according to the surroundings.

What are the male and female names of the species?

As Blue Angelfish is a fish, its species is Holacanthus bermudensis. Both male and female do not have any particular names and are thereby known as males and females respectively.

What would you call a baby Blue Angelfish?

A baby Blue Angelfish is called fry or hatchling or juvenile Blue Angelfish. The juvenile Blue Angel fish is also known as Juvenile Queen Angel fish. Juveniles prefer to live in highly sheltered areas to be safe from predators.

What do they eat?

Blue Angelfishes are omnivores. In the wild, this freshwater fish usually feeds on marine algae, spirulina, and sponge material. Juvenile fishes are called cleaner fishes as they feed on the ectoparasites. Main predators of Blue Angelfish include larger fishes, barracudas and sharks.

Are they dangerous?

Blue Angelfish is not dangerous. Even though they are a bit aggressive, they do not pose any threat to humans.

Would they make a good pet?

Freshwater Blue Angelfish are aquarium fishes and are suitable for keeping as pets. They require a large aquarium and it is preferred to keep them as one or two in number.

Did you know...

There are different varieties and colors of angelfish.  The original angelfish was actually silver in color. As mutations occur, it changes. Breeders also created many varieties of this fish. One example is Philippine Blue Angelfish that is deep blue in color and is really beautiful.

Why are Blue Angelfishes aggressive towards each other?

Blue Angelfish are semi-aggressive in nature.  They are aggressive towards each other during the time of breeding. Males often fight with other males whereas females become aggressive while protecting their young. Pecking or nipping each other is a sign of aggressiveness.

How many Blue Angelfish freshwater can be kept together?

Blue Angelfish can be kept in groups.  Four or five fishes can be kept in a 55 gallon tank. It is better to check on them and remove one or two if they become aggressive.

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 candiru facts, or fluke fish facts.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Blue Angelfishes coloring pages.

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