Least Concern· population stable· assessed 2010

Queen angelfish

Holacanthus ciliaris

Sighting evidence at South West Bay Reef, Corn Islands

Photo: James Phillips · CC BY-NC

Among the most brilliantly coloured fish in the Caribbean, the queen angelfish feeds almost exclusively on sponges — an unusual dietary specialisation that makes it an important sponge population regulator on healthy reefs. Its vivid electric-blue and yellow colouration signals toxicity to potential predators. Juveniles have a striking vertical banding pattern and serve as cleaning station attendants before transitioning to the adult form.

Evidence at this site

0 records within 25 km

Confidence: low

No date on file

How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.

Queen angelfish

Evidence at this site

Also seen at other sites