the emperor or angel-fish gave a home in tropical waters belongs to the showiest coral-reef-inhabitants. In the sonnendurchfluteten reef, they offer an unforgettable sight to the diver with its splendid colors. Many are color-like so extravagantly equipped as they wanted to surpass all mutually for itself. This of age -, and the youth-dress can be very differently on that occasion. Some young - and alto-fish were therefore considered different types earlier what led to considerable confusions in the system of this group of course.
Shape An especially powerful thorn is characteristic for all types of the emperor-fish at the gill-cover, that its next relative, the butterfly-fish (subfamily Chaetodontinae), lack. The disk-shaped, oval one until round bodies carries many times big, protracted fins, that, unites with the color-dress, the emperor-fish to impressive shapes do. The sheds are enough also over the head and a part of the fins. The small mouth is busy with sharp and pointed teeth; it is suitable only for picking up small food.
Way of life Emperor-fish form precincts; they live individually and behave aggressively opposite Artgenossen. If coral-reef comes along the showy official dress the emperor-fish a special warning and signal-function in the restricted habitat to: The title of a certain precinct is signalled the other fish optically.
The animals are very nimble and agile. One is astonished with which security the fish around-speed hair-keenly between the coral-jag, without itself too hurt. The emperor-fish are active only during the day, at night, they last hidden in "its" coral-cave.
Attitude Until now, it has not yet succeeded to breed these beautiful forms in the aquarium. After successful in-habituation, they endure at diversified feeding however many years. As precinct-pictures, they are belligerent; not nursing any equally big animals together in an aquarium therefore is advisable.
Types The Pfauenkaiserfish (Pygoplites diacanthus, until 20 cm) is tied not only at coral-reefs, it occurs also at rock-coasts. One always finds it in pairs. The once chosen precinct often is retained for years. it is one of the most splendid emperor-fish undoubtedly. its home, the tropical Indopazifik and this are sea red.
From the Indonesian waters and the west-Pacific, the dream-emperor-fish (Euxiphipops navarchus, until 20 cm), for which is paid maximum prices by sea-water-aquarianists, comes. The yellow-mask-emperor-fish (Euxiphipops xanthometopon) lives in above all the waters before Sri Lanka.
Also marvelously, some types of the type Pomacanthus, as the Imperatorkaiserfish (Pomacanthus imperator, approximately 30 cm), are colored, that finding mainly at the coasts Ostindiens is. The difference of young is with this type - and alto-fish especially big. While the young are black-blue patterned with circular, white strips, the adults carry on red, purpurnem or blue reason yellow vertical stripes, therefore a completely different color, and drawing-patterns. The Umfärbung is normally performed during a size of approximately 10 cm. In its company, one often finds Labroides dimidiatus, that frees it from tiresome skin-parasites (Ektoparasiten), the Putzerfish.
In the reef-areas north of Madagascar, Pomacanthus semicirculatus (until 38 cm), farther east, in the whole Indopazifik, the ring-emperor-fish (Pomacanthus annularis), that becomes long until 40 cm, lives.
Two splendid types are found also in the Caribbean: the marvelously ebony Pomacanthus paru (until 30 cm) and the colored Holacanthus tricolor black and yellow in the interesting contrast, that can become quite big with 60 cm.
Scientific name: