Husbandry
Apolemichthys arcuatus also known as Banded angelfish is found on Hawaiian and Johnston islands. They are very common on rocky reefs, in ledges and caves; also in coral areas.
They are overall pale with a broad black bar bordered by a narrow pearly white band running across the upper side from the front of the eye to the posterior portion of the soft dorsal fin. A similar broad black band with pearly white border runs submarginal on the caudal and anal fins.
This angel is one of the „gentlest“ I ever seen but unfortunatly this beauty rarely lives for any period of time in captivity, probably due to very specific diets mainly on sponges and tunicates. Apolemichthys arcuatus is a species which really should be left in the ocean.
Quite often other Angels of this genus will live for years with a coral and then start picking on it whilst an adult. All species in the genus Apolemichthys fair better in tank filled with liverock or as allready written should be left in the ocean.
Remarks:
Most large angelfish are well known for nipping at large-polyped stony corals and some soft corals as well as tridacnid clam mantles.
Synonyms:
Desmoholacanthus arcuatus (Gray, 1831)
Holacanthus arcuatus Gray, 1831
Classification: Biota > Animalia (Kingdom) > Chordata (Phylum) > Vertebrata (Subphylum) > Gnathostomata (Superclass) > Pisces (Superclass) > Actinopterygii (Class) > Perciformes (Order) > Pomacanthidae (Family) > Apolemichthys (Genus)
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