Species: Pomacanthus annularis, Bluering Angelfish

Pomacanthus annularis (Bloch, 1787)

Bluering Angelfish

Deep, almost circular, compressed body; head deep, snout short; mouth small, with brush-like teeth; preopercle with a large spine at its angle, with vertical margin smooth; bone between preopercle and operculum without spines; bone under eye without large, rear-pointing spines; gill rakers 4+12; dorsal fin un-notched, XIII, 20-21; anal rays III, 20; front soft rays of dorsal but not anal fin with filaments; tail fin truncate; body with large and small scales, irregularly arranged, very rough, with distinct ridges on the exposed part, >70 lateral scales; scales extend out onto the median fins; without "axillary process" (an enlarged scale) at the base of the pelvic fins; lateral line complete.

Adult: brown to yellowish brown, with curved blue lines on body and soft dorsal and anal fin; side of nape above operculum with a blue ring; tail fin white, with yellow margin. Juvenile: dark blue, with thin curved bars, 3-4 prominent white bars (1 behind eye, others on body), plus ~10 pale blue bars; soft dorsal often with blue circles; tail fin translucent bluish white.

Size: to 45 cm.

Habitat: coastal reefs, often in caves, and under wharfs, in harbors; frequently in murky water.

Depth: 1-60 m.

Indo-west Pacific: introduced to southeast Florida.