Rock Beauty Angelfish

Photo: Julian Baquero · © all rights reserved

Rock beauty angelfish are territorial residents of the Tesoro Island reef, their striking two-tone body — vivid yellow at head and tail, jet black across the body — making them among the Caribbean's most visually dramatic reef fish. They are sponge specialists whose diet is dominated by a narrow range of sponge species, particularly those with chemical defences too potent for most other reef fish. Their territories typically encompass a series of sponge patches within a defined section of reef, and a dive around the island's perimeter typically reveals five or six resident individuals.