Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D, XIV+19-20; A, III+20-21; P,19; V, I+5; LL, 45-49  photo: A. Zuljevic

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body deep and compressed. Head relatively small. Terminal mouth with distinct lips and small teeth. A stout spine on the angle of preoperculum. A single dorsal fin. The first three dorsal and anal spines with deep incisions. Both dorsal and anal fin rays with very long forming filaments at their posterior edge, reaching in adults beyond caudal fin. Caudal fin moderately round. Pectoral fin round while pelvic fin is pointed. Body covered with small ctenoid scales. color : body's background is purplish to dark blue with yellow-edged scales. Nape, lower part of head and anterior part of belly deep blue. Yellow area on the side of head from eye to cheek. Dorsal and anal fins bluish-orange with distinct blue margin. Caudal, pectoral and pelvic fins yellow, the first often with posterior bluish-green edge. Juveniles (up to 10 cm) have five forward-curved horizontal bars. size : common 20-30 cm (max.45 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The body shape and the color pattern differ significantly from all Mediterranean species. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Live solitary or in pairs. Feeds on sessile organisms such as sponges, algae, bryozoans and tunicates. Juveniles often serve as cleaners of other fishes.  Eggs and larvae planktonic. habitat : coral reefs to depths of 70 m.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD 2011, Trogir Bay, Croatia, eastern Adriatic Sea. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide: Tropical western Atlantic from Florida, the Bahamas to Brazil. Mediterranean: Trogir Bay, Croatia. ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare. speculated reasons for success : MODE OF INTRODUCTION Probably arrived with an oil platform towed from the Gulf of Mexico. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Allen G.R. Steene R. and Allen M., 1998. A guide to Angelfishes and Butterflyfishes. Odyssey Pulishing/Tropical Reef Res, Perth, Australia. Dulčić J. and Dragičević B., 2013. Holocanthus ciliaris (Linaeus, 1758) (Telostei: Pomacanthidae), first record from the Mediterranean. Journal of Applied Ichthyology ,29: 465-467. Froese R. and Pauly D. (eds). 2013. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication: www.fishbase.org FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: November 2013 ©ciesm 2002