ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH


ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (Melinda Riger / GB Scuba)

 

ROCK BEAUTY . Holacanthus tricolor  . BAHAMAS REEF FISH 

These creatures are a small species of angelfish. Seen swimming around the reefs they are unmistakeable, not least because of their bright yellow hi-viz jackets, remarkable blue eyeliner and blue-black lipstick. 

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (Melinda Riger / GB Scuba)

Rock Beauties look like prime candidates for anyone’s aquarium, but they have picky dietary requirements and a tendency for aggression that make them unsuitable (fortunately for them).

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (Melinda Riger / GB Scuba)

They are highly specialised feeders, needing marine sponges in their daily diet. They are also prone to chase tank-mates and nip them. On balance, they look more fetching nosing about the coral anyway.

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (Melinda Riger / GB Scuba)

WHAT DO JUVENILES LOOK LIKE?

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (Melinda Riger / GB Scuba)

Juvenile rock beauties are cute mini-versions of the adults, only even more yellow and with yellow lips.

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (Melinda Riger / GB Scuba)

In development stages, they may have a vivid blue and black circle in front of the tail fin…

Rock Beauty, Bahamas (Living Oceans Foundation))

… or a large dark patch on their sides

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (Melinda Riger / GB Scuba)

 

NOT A TRUE ‘ROCK BEAUTY’ (no offence, Lita)

A TRUE ROCK BEAUTY

Credits: Melinda Riger, Grand Bahama Scuba; WP

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (52)


ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (Melinda Riger / GB Scuba)

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (52)

I last featured the cheerfully-coloured Rock Beauty Holacanthus tricolor 2 or 3 years back. Time has passed; new photos exist; new people have signed up to follow this eclectic menagerie (thank you both). Time for another look at these beauties, which also happen to be cuties.

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (Melinda Riger / GB Scuba)

Look at the little guy above –  posing for Pixar, adorably hoping to star in Part 3 of the Nemo / Dory trilogy

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (Melinda Riger / GB Scuba)

These fish are a small species of angelfish. Seen swimming around the reefs they are unmistakeable, not least because of their bright yellow hi-viz jackets, remarkable blue eyeliner and blue-black lippy. 

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (Melinda Riger / GB Scuba)

Rock Beauties look like prime candidates for anyone’s aquarium, but their picky dietary requirements and tendency for aggression make them unsuitable.

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (Melinda Riger / GB Scuba)

They are highly specialised feeders, needing marine sponge in their daily diet. They are also prone to chase their tank-mates and nip them. On balance, they look more fetching nosing about the coral anyway.

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (Melinda Riger / GB Scuba)

WHAT DO JUVENILES LOOK LIKE?

Juvenile rock beauties are cute mini-versions of the adults, only more yellow and with yellow lips. In some development stages, they have a smart blue circle around the dark patch on their sides (bottom image).

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (Melinda Riger / GB Scuba)

Rock Beauty, Bahamas (Living Oceans Foundation))

NOTE Rock Beauties have no known kinship with Chrissie, Debbie, Lita, Joan, Jennifer, Stevie, Madge and the rest of the accredited ‘Rock Beauties aka Chicks’ 

NOT A TRUE ‘ROCK BEAUTY’ (no offence, Lita)

A TRUE ROCK BEAUTY

Credits: Melinda Riger, Grand Bahama Scuba; WP

ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (37)


Rock Beauty, Bahamas (Melinda Riger / Grand Bahama Scuba)

 ROCK BEAUTY: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (37)

The Rock Beauty Holacanthus tricolor is a small species of Angelfish. Seen swimming around the reefs they are unmistakeable, not least because of their bright yellow hi-viz jackets, remarkable blue eyeliner and blue-black lippy. They featured near the start of this series HERE, and a recent online search (for something else completely, as is often the way) reminded me to give them another swim round Rolling Harbour.

Rock Beauty, Bahamas (Melinda Riger / Grand Bahama Scuba)

In addition to the hi-viz-and-eyeliner combo, the Beauty above has chosen a fetchingly cheeky pair of matching ISOPODS (crustacean parasites) to adorn its face –  possibly the piscine equivalent of a tat…

Rock Beauty, Bahamas (Melinda Riger / Grand Bahama Scuba)

Rock Beauties look like prime candidates for anyone’s aquarium, but their dietary requirements and tendency for aggression make them unsuitable. They are highly specialised feeders, needing marine sponge in their daily diet. They are also prone to chase their tank-mates and nip them. On balance, they look more fetching nosing about the coral anyway.

WHAT DO JUVENILES LOOK LIKE?

Juvenile rock beauties are cute mini-versions of the adults, only more yellow (including the lips). In some development stages, they have a smart blue circle in the middle of the dark patch on their sides (bottom image).


Rock Beauty (Juvenile)

NOTE Rock Beauties have no known relationship to Chrissie, Debbie, Lita, Stevie, Joanna, Madge and the rest of the accredited ‘Rock Beauties aka Chicks’.  

NOT A TRUE ‘ROCK BEAUTY’ (no offence, Lita)

A TRUE ROCK BEAUTY
800px-Holacanthus_tricolor_1

Credits: Melinda Riger, Grand Bahama Scuba,Wiki

ROCK BEAUTY Holacanthus tricolor: BAHAMAS REEF FISH (5)


Rock Beauty Desktop WP clip 

BAHAMAS REEF FISH (5) – ROCK BEAUTY Holacanthus tricolor

(No, this is not all about you, Madge…)

The Rock Beauty is a species of small Angelfish, measuring up to 10 inches in length. They are bright yellow and dark blue, in varying proportions according to the stage of development, with startling blue eyelids. They are mainly sponge-feeders, but vary their diet with plankton, algae, corals and even small jellyfish. Although the cheerful colouring of the Rock Beauty might make many think “my aquarium”, their diet – particularly the need for sponges – makes them unsuitable for captivity (see below for details). They also become aggressive, and cannot be successfully bred in an aquarium which is an excellent lifestyle choice by them, and no doubt helps them to retain an IUCN listing of LC.220px-Status_iucn3.1_LC.svg

These fish inhabit the reefs of  the tropical western Atlantic down to the northern areas of the Gulf of Mexico. Although mainly encountered on reefs, they are capable of living at considerable depths, and have been found at more than 90 meters.

ADULT ROCK BEAUTYRock Beauty

Adult Rock Beauties are often found in pairs year round, perhaps suggesting a long-term monogamous bond. The pairs reproduce by rising up in the water, bringing their bellies close together, and releasing clouds of sperm and eggs. The female can release anywhere from 25 to 75 thousand eggs each evening and as many as ten million eggs during each spawning cycle. The eggs are transparent, buoyant, and pelagic, floating in the water column. They hatch after 15 to 20 hours into larvae that lack effective eyes, fins, or even a gut. The large yolk sac is absorbed after 48 hours, during which time the larvae develop normal characteristics of free-swimming fish. Larvae are found in the water column and feed on plankton. The larvae grow rapidly and about 3-4 weeks after hatching the 15-20mm long juvenile settles on the bottom.

JUVENILE ROCK BEAUTY
Rock Beauty (Juvenile)

The Rock Beauty Angelfish is considered to be a difficult fish to keep in captivity; it is ill-suited for all but the most experienced aquarists. They are highly specialised feeders that will likely perish without some marine-sponge formulation in their daily diet. They are an aggressive species. Most aquarists recommend a minimum tank size of 100 gallons. Young Rock Beauty Angelfish feed in part, on the slime of other fish and will persistently chase their tank-mates and nip at them. It is not a reef safe fish, and larger specimens may nip at or consume corals, particularly stony or soft ones, and ornamental invertebrates.800px-Holacanthus_tricolor_1

Credits: Melinda Riger of Grand Bahama Scuba, random pickings, ‘DT Wallpapers’ & wiki