The Indian Yellowtail Angelfish (Apolemichthys xanthurus) is a marine (saltwater) fish in the Pomacanthidae family. It is also known as the Cream Angelfish, Smoke Angelfish, and Yellowtail Black Angelfish.
The Indian Yellowtail Angelfish has a large, round, flat body with thick lips and large, dark eyes. The scales are like a lattice design. The edges of its body are dark. It has a bright yellow tail and the other fins are dark-coloured. It has a yellow spot on the upper pre-operculum, near its eye.
It grows to about 15 centimetres (6 inches) in length.
The Indian Yellowtail Angelfish is native to the Indian Ocean, especially in the oceans around the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and the eastern coast of India. It prefers tropical coral reefs and rocky reefs.
It is an omnivore, eating algae, detritus, invertebratetes, sponges, coral, and crabs.
It is a solitary fish.
The female lays thousands of eggs, although most of them are eaten by other fish. The eggs hatch into larvae, which live near plankton. The juvenile fish have a wide, black band running over their eyes and an oblique area of black on their backs which fades as they grow to adulthood.
Location of photographs: Aquarium de Paris-Cinéaqua, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM