Apolemichthys trimaculatus

Threespot angelfish
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Pomacanthidae
Genus:	Apolemichthys
Species:	A. trimaculatus
Binomial name
Apolemichthys trimaculatus Cuvier, 1831
Synonyms
Holacanthus trimaculatus Cuvier, 1831

Apolemichthys trimaculatus, also known as the threespot angelfish, is a demersal marine fish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae or commonly called angelfishes.

Description

Apolemichthys trimaculatus is a small sized fish which grows up to 26 cm. Its body has a stock appearance, oval shape, strongly compressed laterally with a strong preopercle spine. The body coloration is bright yellow with three dark spots: one on the forehead, and one on each side close to the opercles at the eye level. There is a greyish blotch between the eyes. The lips are blue and the preopercle spine is light bluish grey. All the fins are yellow excepts the anal fin which is whitish with a large black margin. Juveniles have a false eye-spot at the base of the soft dorsal fin and a thin black line over the head, running through the eye.

Distribution

The threespot angelfish is widely distributed throughout the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean and wertern Pacific Ocean.

Habitat

This species inhabits lagoon, coral reef, along steep slopes from surface until 80 m depth. Juveniles occur below 25 m.

Feeding

Their diet consists mainly in sponges and tunicates.

Behaviour

Threespot angelfish has a diurnal activity. It is protogynous hermaphrodite, which means the female can evolved to male during its life, and lives in harem composed of two to seven females for a male and it's a territorial fish.