Apolemichthys kingi Collected in Madagascar

by | Sep 19, 2016 | Fish, Industry | 3 comments

Apolemichthys kingi, from Isla Alanana, Madagascar. Credit: Barnett Shutman / Golden Coast

Apolemichthys kingi, from Isla Alanana, Madagascar. Credit: Barnett Shutman / Golden Coast

The Tiger Angelfish (Apolemichthys kingi) is one of the ultimate holy grail pomacanthids, seldom collected for the aquarium trade and always selling for preposterous amounts of money. This spectacular species, long thought to be restricted to the subtropical, deepwater reefs of South Africa, has recently been turning up far from home in the relatively unexplored reefs of Madagascar. And now, for the time, it has been collected from these waters by Golden Coast.

Apolemichthys kingi, form Itapera, Madagascar. Credit: Bruce Mann

Apolemichthys kingi, form Itapera, Madagascar. Credit: Bruce Mann

As exciting as this discovery is, this isn’t the first time that this fish has been reported from Madagascar. In 2013, a specimen was collected in a gill net from Itapera Village, in the Southeastern corner of the island. Barnett Shutman of Golden Coast reports that this species is an uncommon but regular find in the reefs of Toamasina, located in the northeast. This particular specimen was collected from relatively shallow depths (30-60 feet) at Isla Alanana (Île aux Prunes), a small island located just offshore.

apolemichthys-kingi-map

The currents along the eastern shore of Madagascar flow in a strong northerly direction, which helps explain why this species is swimming so far north. But there is also a strong westerly current coming from the Mascarene Islands, which potentially puts these poorly studied reefs at an important biogeographical crossroads. Who knows what interesting fish might turn up next…

  • Joe Rowlett

    Joe is classically trained in the zoological arts and sciences, with a particular focus on the esoterica of invertebrate taxonomy and evolution. He’s written for several aquarium publications and for many years lorded over the marinelife at Chicago’s venerable Old Town Aquarium. He currently studies prairie insect ecology at the Field Museum of Natural History and fish phylogenetics at the University of Chicago.

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3 Comments

  1. Jose Lahongrais

    There’s no need to take the fish out of the water for a photo. It stresses them out. Let’s see if you’d like someone holding you underwater for a photo….

    Reply
    • Keith Baxter

      Only a matter of time Dean. They will be caught ?. Wayne Morrison Brian Ring

      Reply

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