Care
The Queen Angelfish is a reef dweller known from Florida, USA and the Gulf of Mexico, through the Caribbean, down to Brazil, and over to St Paul's Rocks in the eastern central Atlantic. This diurnal grazer feeds almost exclusively on sponges, supplemented with small amounts of algae, bryozoans, hydroids, and tunicates. Juveniles of the species exhibit cleaning behaviour with a variety of fish, removing ectoparasites from their skin. Adults tend to occur solitary or in pairs, favouring areas rich with corals, seafans, and seawhips, to depths of 70m (230ft). Although the Queen Angelfish feeds predominantly on sponges in the wild, unlike some other members of the genus, they will usually switch to consuming other fare in the home aquarium quite successfully. However, it is still prudent to try and find an ongoing source of frozen sponge-based Angelfish rations for the best long term care. Queen Angelfish will always fare best in spacious, mature aquaria with an abundance of live rock and an open swimming space along the front of the tank. Established systems will provide much more in the way of nutritious micro-invertebrates in the living rock and this will help to supplement the specialised diet. In smaller systems, such critters will be quickly depleted, which is why it is doubly important that this active fish is given ample space. Queen Angelfish demand excellent water quality - thoroughly filtered and well oxygenated, with areas of decent current. Keep only one per tank, and not with any other angelfish. This is a very boisterous species that does best with other semi-aggressive tankmates, and it should be the last fish added to an aquarium. Juvenile specimens are predominantly dark blue with bright yellow chest, pectoral fins, pelvic fins, and tail. The edges of the dorsal and anal fins are royal blue, and there are several light blue, gently curved vertical lines on the flanks. A dark blue mask, edged in royal blue, runs down through the eyes. With age the colour pattern changes: the blue on the flanks becomes brighter and the scales are edged with bright yellow (sometimes giving an overall green appearance when viewed from a distance). The pectoral, pelvic, and caudal fins remain bright yellow, with a large blue spot forming at the base of the pectoral fins. The area on top of the head develops a large black spot that is peppered with electric blue specks and surrounded by an electric blue ring. A series of short blue spines grow down the gill covers, above the main opercular spine on each side. This fish is very similar in appearance to the Blue Angelfish (H. bermudensis) and hybrids of these two species do sometimes occur where their ranges overlap.
Feeding
Should be offered a varied diet consisting mainly of special sponge-based Angelfish preparations (available as frozen cubes), plus meaty fare such as Mysis shrimp, vitamin/Spirulina-enriched brineshrimp, and finely chopped krill/squid/cockle/mussel, plus Spirulina & marine algae. Feed small amounts at least 3 times per day.
Breeding
This species has not been bred in the home aquarium.
