Appearance
"Apolemichthys xanthurus" Has a body which has a cream background colour with a network of dark lines on the scales creating a lattice pattern over this. The edges of the body are a solid dark colour. The caudal fin is bright yellow while the dorsal and anal fins are black with a white margin. Like they closely related, Apolemichthys xanthotis this species has a yellow spot on the upper preoperculum but the black on the head does not extend as far as this spot so it contrasts less with its background. The juveniles have a wide black band running over the eye and an oblique are of black on the back, this patch fades as the fish matures. The dorsal fin contains 14 spines and 17-19 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 17-18 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 15 centimetres.Status
"Apolemichthys xanthurus" is common in the aquarium trade and among the marine angelfishes it is one of the hardiest and easiest to maintain in captivity. Collection from the wild is limited, only 100 were allowed to be exported from the Maldives in 2003, and is not considered a threat to the species which is categorised as Least Concern by the IUCN.Habitat
"Apolemichthys xanthurus" is typically encountered as solitary individuals or in pairs at depths of 5 to 85 metres on coral and rocky reefs. They feed on a variety of crustaceans, sponges and algae.References:
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