Species: Pomacanthus maculosus, Yellowbar Angelfish

Pomacanthus maculosus (Forsskal, 1775)

Yellowbar 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 5-6+13-14; dorsal fin un-notched, XII, 21m with long filament at end; anal rays III, 21; front soft rays of dorsal and anal fin both with filaments; tail fin rounded; 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: violet blue, with a large, vertical yellow to orange oval bar on midbody; scales on forehead and nape dark blue; tail fin pale, white, blue-white or cream. Juvenile: dark blue, with thin pale blue and white bars; center of body with yellow mark on upper side; tail fin transparent.

Size: to 50 cm.

Habitat: inshore silty bays and coral rich reefs.

Depth: 4-50 m.

Red Sea and E Africa: introduced to southeast Florida.