Queen angelfish

Photo: Phil Garner · © all rights reserved

One of the Caribbean's most visually striking reef fish, with electric blue and yellow colouring and a distinctive crown marking. Queen angelfish are sponge specialists — they bite through the otherwise chemically defended tissue of encrusting sponges, filling an ecological niche few other fish can exploit. Pairs are typically monogamous and highly territorial. Their presence at a reef in significant numbers is a proxy for sponge diversity and overall structural complexity, both of which are elevated at Tela.