Zebra Angelfish

The Genicanthus caudovittatus, commonly referred to as the zebra angelfish, swallowtail angelfish, and lyretail angelfish, is a notable species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the Pomacanthidae family. This species is predominantly found in the 🌊 Indian Ocean.

Exhibiting sexual dichromatism, Genicanthus caudovittatus displays distinct coloration between males and females. Males are characterized by a whitish-blue body adorned with vertical dark brown stripes and a distinctive black band along the middle of the dorsal fin base. In contrast, females possess a pale pinkish-grey hue with black bands over the eye and along the upper and lower margins of the caudal fin. Both genders feature a distinctly forked caudal fin. The dorsal fin comprises 15 spines accompanied by 15–17 soft rays, while the anal fin consists of 3 spines and 17–19 soft rays. This species can grow to a maximum total length of 20 centimeters (7.9 inches).

The geographical distribution of Genicanthus caudovittatus spans the western 🌊 Indian Ocean, with a range extending from the 🌊 Red Sea in the north to KwaZulu-Natal (🇿🇦 South Africa), 🇿🇦 South Africa, and eastward to 🇲🇬 Madagascar, 🇲🇻 Maldives, 🇲🇺 Mauritius, and Réunion. It has also been documented near Weh Island off northwestern Sumatra (🇮🇩 Indonesia).

Typically found at depths ranging from 15 to 70 meters (49 to 230 feet), Genicanthus caudovittatus inhabits steeper outer reef slopes, often forming small social groups comprising a male and several females. Its diet consists primarily of plankton. Juveniles tend to reside at greater depths compared to adult specimens.

The species was initially described in 1860 under the name Holocanthus caudovittatus by Albert Günther, a German-born British ichthyologist and herpetologist (1830–1914), with 🇲🇺 Mauritius cited as the type locality. The specific nomenclature is derived from Latin, with "caudus" meaning "tail" and "vittatus" signifying "banded," alluding to the black markings on the tail.