The French Angelfish or Pomacanthus paru is a saltwater fish from the family Pomacanthidae. This species of Angelfish inhabits the western Atlantic from Florida and the Bahamas to Brazil. It is also found in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
French Angelfish are most often seen in depths of between 2 and 100 m and can grow up to 16" (41 cm). This species is monogamous, staying with the same partner and defending its territory together against other couples. They are often caught around reefs and are considered to be quite tasty.
When these fish are young they act as cleaner fish, removing parasites and other "food" from the bodies of other fish including jacks, snappers, morays, grunts, tangs, and wrasses. The fish that wants to be cleaned does a dance of sorts to let the French Angelfish know they would like to be serviced. You can check out a Tang fish getting cleaned by a juvenile French Angelfish in the video below.
If you have any additional information about the French Angelfish please leave us a comment below.
The Glassy Sweeper or Pempheris schomburgki is a small saltwater fish with a tall, long body. They have a big head with large eyes and a very wide mouth. These fish are quite the sight to be seen when they are younger. Their bodies are so transparent that the backbone can be seen in the living fish. As they grow older, their bodies become more solid reaching lengths of about 15cm in length.
Also known as the Copper Sweeper, their color varies from tan-yellow to silver.
They are found in Western Atlantic, southeastern Florida, USA, from Bahamas to Santa Catarina (south of Brazil) and Brazilian oceanic islands. They are a nocturnal species found in clear water with coral bottom, forming aggregations in dark crevices and caves. Glassy Sweepers can be kept in an aquarium plenty of hiding spaces. This fish will feed on zooplankton and invertebrate larval in the wild. You can check out a large school of adult Glass Sweepers in the video below.
If you have any additional information about the Glassy Sweeper please leave us a comment below.
Courtesy of Ellano J. Silva - Fisheries engineering student (UFERSA- Brazil)
