Species: Pomacanthus imperator, Emperor Angelfish

Pomacanthus imperator (Bloch, 1787)

Emperor 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 6-7+13-14; dorsal fin un-notched, XIV, 19-21; anal rays III, 19-20; front soft rays of dorsal and anal fin both without filaments; tail fin rounded; body with large and small scales, irregularly arranged, very rough, with distinct ridges on the exposed part, ~90 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: body with strong, alternating diagonal narrow yellow and blue stripes; a broad dark bar behind head; eyes covered by a dark mask; snout and cheek whitish; tail fin & outer edge of dorsal fin orangish yellow. Juvenile: dark blue, with white concentric marks on body.

Size: to 38 cm.

Habitat: inshore and outer reefs, often with rich coral, deep lagoons; juveniles under ledges and in holes on shallow reefs

Depth: 1-105 m.

Indo-central Pacific: introduced to southeast Florida