Rock Beauty Angelfish

Rock Beauty Angelfish

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Holacanthus tricolor

Overview
Reef Compatible: WITH CAUTION
Diet: Omnivore
Temperament: Docile
Origin: East Americas

The rock beauty (Holacanthus tricolor), also known as corn sugar, coshubba, rock beasty, and yellow nanny, is a captivating marine angelfish found in the western Atlantic Ocean. Here are some intriguing details about this species:

1. Description:

   • The rock beauty has a deep, oval, and strongly compressed body.
   • Its short snout leads to a small mouth with bristle-like teeth.
   • Notably, there’s a large spine at the angle of the preopercle, serrated vertically.
   • As juveniles mature into adults, they develop a striking black spot on the upper posterior part of their body, which eventually covers most of their body and parts of the dorsal and anal fins.
   • The head, anterior quarter of the body, pectoral, pelvic, and caudal fins are yellow, while the mouth is purple.
   • The eye displays vivid blue on the upper and lower portions of the iris.
   • Dorsal fin: 14 spines and 17-19 soft rays; anal fin: 3 spines and 18-20 soft rays.
   • Maximum total length: 30 centimeters (12 inches).

2. Distribution:

   • Found in the Western Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Bermuda and the waters off Georgia and Florida southwards through the Caribbean Sea.
   • Occurs along the coasts of South America as far as Rio de Janeiro.
   • Uncommon and localized in the Gulf of Mexico, particularly at the Flower Gardens Banks off Texas and off Veracruz, Mexico.

3. Habitat and Behavior:

   • Depth range: 3 to 92 meters (9.8 to 301.8 feet).
   • Habitat: Around jetties, rocky reefs, and coral reefs.
   • Juveniles often seen in areas with fire coral.
   • Diet: Primarily sponges, but also corals, zoantharians, bryozoans, gorgonians, tunicates, and algae.
   • Adults form long-term monogamous pairs during mating, releasing eggs and milt into the water.
   • A female can lay between 25,000 and 75,000 eggs in an evening.

Next time you’re near a reef, keep an eye out for this vibrant and fascinating fish!