Species: Holacanthus bermudensis, Blue Angelfish

Holacanthus bermudensis Goode, 1876

Blue Angelfish

Deep oval, strongly compressed; snout short, blunt; mouth small, with brush-like teeth; preopercle with a large spine at its angle, with vertical margin serrated; bone between preopercle and operculum with 1-4 large spines; bone under eye without large, rear-pointing spines; dorsal fin un-notched, XIV, 19-21; anal rays III, 20-21; dorsal and anal fins end in long filaments; pectoral rays 19; tail straight; lateral line ends under end of soft dorsal fin; large, regularly arranged, very rough scales with distinct ridges on the exposed part, scales extend out onto the median fins; 45-50 lateral line scales; without "axillary process" (an enlarged scale) at the base of the pelvic fins.

Body and fins blue-grey; outer edges of pectoral and tail fins, and filaments of dorsal and anal fins yellow; no black & blue ocellus on nape, no blue spot on pectoral base, upper corner of operculum same color as rest of head. Juvenile: darker than adult; body with 3 long blue-white bars, middle bar straight, shorter less distinct bars between those; black, blue-edged bar through eye.

Maximum size about 45 cm.

Habitat: coral reefs.

Depth: 3-201 m.

New Jersey to the Central Caribbean.