Masked Angelfish
The Masked Angelfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish in the Pomacanthidae family. It is only found in Hawaii.
At all ages, the Masked Angelfish is primarily a bright white color. The youngsters have a black patch covering the majority of their heads. As the fish grows, this breaks down, beginning with the lips, which turn bluish-white and progressing to the caudal fins, which darken to become black. This species is a sequential protogynous hermaphrodite, and the younger sexually mature individuals are all females. The amount of black on the head decreases. The black eventually just covers the eyes, the chin, and the edge of the operculum and its operculum spine.
They have yellow pelvic fins as well. They may change sex to males when they reach a length of 15 to 18 centimeters (5.9 to 7.1 in). When they do this, they develop a striking orange-yellow pigmentation on their pectoral fins, the entire face, and the margins of their dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins. Males grow lengthy filamentous extensions from their caudal fin lobes. The maximum overall length of this species is 21 cm (8.3 in).
The Masked Angelfish is only found in the Hawaiian Islands, and it is most common in the northwestern islands. The Masked Angelfish is found at depths ranging from 10 to 150 meters (33 to 492 feet), across rocky reefs, and on the outer slopes of reefs. This species' diet consists of green algae from the genus Codium, as well as planktonic creatures and fish eggs. The masked angelfish, like all other angelfish, is a protogynous hermaphrodite, with all individuals initially being female and the dominant ones transitioning to males.
Price: $20,000
