Happy Pets

Members of this family are deep-bodied and laterally compressed fishes. They are found mainly in the Indo-Pacific oceans, but one or two species occur in the Atlantic. They inhabit coral reefs, constantly pecking or scraping food from the surface and crevices of the coral heads. Their brilliant colours and startling patterns may be either a type of camouflage in the brightly lit world of the coral reef, or an aid in recognizing or communicating with fishes of the same species. The Angelfishes are distinguished from the Butterflyfishes by a spine at the bottom rear corner of the gill cover; many young Angelfishes have colours and markings that differ from those of the adult form. Angelfishes are territorial, and fishes of the same spebies will fight. (more…)

These brightly coloured, oval- bodied fishes have sharp, bony scalpels on the caudal peduncle which can cause painful wounds. Some species have fixed scalpels, others a protruding horn above the eyes.

Powder-blue Surgeon Acanthurus leucosternon 300 mm 12 in. Indo- Pacific oceans. The delicate blue of the body contrasts with the black face and yellow dorsal fin. The retracted scalpel on each side of the yellow caudal peduncle can be clearly seen. (more…)