Yellowtail angelfish
(Apolemichthys xanthurus)
General data
Apolemichthys xanthurus, the Indian yellowtail angelfish, is a species of marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. Other common names include cream angelfish, smoke angelfish, and yellowtail black angelfish. It is found in the Indian Ocean.
Description
Apolemichthys xanthurus Has a body which has a cream background colour with a network of dark lines on the scales creating a lattice pattern over this. The edges of the body are a solid dark colour. The caudal fin is bright yellow while the dorsal and anal fins are black with a white margin. Like they closely related, Apolemichthys xanthotis this species has a yellow spot on the upper preoperculum but the black on the head does not extend as far as this spot so it contrasts less with its background. The juveniles have a wide black band running over the eye and an oblique are of black on the back, this patch fades as the fish matures.
The dorsal fin contains 14 spines and 17-19 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 17-18 soft rays.
This species attains a maximum total length of 15 centimetres (5.9 in).
Distribution
Apolemichthys xanthurus is found in the Indian Ocean. It occurs in the Mascarenes, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and the eastern coast of India. It has been recorded off Myanmar and Thailand and reported from Sulawesi.
Habitat and biology
Apolemichthys xanthurus is typically encountered as solitary individuals or in pairs at depths of 5 to 85 metres (16 to 279 ft) on coral and rocky reefs. They feed on a variety of crustaceans, sponges and algae.
