Holacanthus


Holacanthus, from Ancient Greek ὅλος, meaning "full", and ἄκανθα, meaning "spine", is a genus of marine angelfishes. The eight species are particularly abundant near volcanic rocks and coral islands. Some are highly valued as food, but even more so for aquaria, as all are brightly colored.

Species

The following species are classified within the genus Holacanthus:
ImageScientific nameCommon nameDistribution
H. africanus Cadenat, 1951Guinean angelfishcoast of tropical West Africa, in the warmer sections of the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
H. bermudensis Goode, 1876Bermuda blue angelfishwestern Atlantic from North Carolina to Bermuda, into the Bahamas and Florida to the Gulf of Mexico, and also to Yucatán, Mexico.
H. ciliaris
Queen angelfishFlorida Keys, and also the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico
H. clarionensis Gilbert, 1891Clarion angelfishPacific coast of Mexico
H. limbaughi Baldwin, 1963Clipperton angelfishPacific – eastern central
H. passer Valenciennes, 1846King angelfisheastern Pacific Ocean from the coast of Peru north to the California gulf, including offshore islands as far west as the Galapagos,
H. tricolor
Rock beauty angelfishtropical western Atlantic Ocean to the northern Gulf of Mexico