Lyra angelfish
| Lyra angelfish | ||||||||||||
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Magnificent lyra angelfish ( Genicanthus bellus ), ♀ |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Genicanthus | ||||||||||||
| Swainson , 1839 |
The Lyra angelfish ( Genicanthus ) are a genus of fish belonging to the angelfish family . They differ from all other angelfish in their shape, their habitat and their diet.
features
Genicanthus caudovittatus , male
Genicanthus caudovittatus , female
Genicanthus personatus , male
Genicanthus personatus , female
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Genicanthus are more like many in her slimmer appearance groupers . Their body is more elongated, more oval and less high than that of other angelfish. The tail is, especially in the males, drawn out like a lyre at the ends. The color is usually light with a stripe or similar pattern. The fish are 15 to 35 centimeters long. Most species stay under 8 inches. The coloration of males and females is so different that they were previously described as different species ( sexual dimorphism ). All Lyra angelfish are initially female when they reach sexual maturity and later transform into males. Therefore, males are usually slightly larger and their caudal fin filaments are longer.
Way of life
Lyra angelfish live in the tropical Indo-Pacific , as zooplankton eaters in deeper regions below 20 meters, mostly in reef trenches or on steep slopes. All species live in loose groups (harems), which consist of several males and several females. They are not schooling fish.
species
Ten valid species have been described:
- Royal angelfish ( Genicanthus bellus Randall 1975)
- Indian zebra angelfish ( Genicanthus caudovittatus (Günther 1860))
- Lamarck's Lyra Angelfish ( Genicanthus lamarck (Lacepède 1802))
- Pacific zebra angelfish ( Genicanthus melanospilos (Bleeker 1857))
- Masked Lyra Angelfish ( Genicanthus personatus Randall 1975)
- Halbgebänderter Lyrakaiserfisch ( Genicanthus semicinctus (Waite, 1900))
- Japan Lyra Angelfish ( Genicanthus semifasciatus (Kamohara 1934))
- Pitcairn angelfish ( Genicanthus spinus Randall 1975)
- Spotted Lyra Angelfish ( Genicanthus takeuchii Pyle 1997)
- Yellow-stripe lyra angelfish ( Genicanthus watanabei (Yasuda & Tominaga 1970))
literature
- Frank Schneidewind: Angelfish . 1999, Tetra Verlag, ISBN 3-89745-137-9
- Roger C. Steene: Butterfly and Angelfish, Volume 1 , 1977, Mergus Verlag, ISBN 3-88244-001-5
- Gerald R. Allen : Butterfly and Angelfish, Volume 2 , 1979, Mergus Verlag, ISBN 3-88244-002-3
- Helmut Debelius , Rudie H. Kuiter : Kaiserfische , 2003, Ulmer Verlag, ISBN 3-80014-458-1
- Hans A. Baensch / Robert Patzner: Mergus Sea Water Atlas Volume 6 , Mergus-Verlag, Melle, ISBN 3-88244-116-X
Web links
- Genicanthus on Fishbase.org (English)