204: POMACANTHIDAE (ANGELFISHES)
Genus Apolemichthys Fraser-Brunner, 1933
Preorbital convex without strong spines; no groove in
spine at preopercle angle. Confined to Indo-West Pacific:
9 species, 2 in our area. A. armitagei Smith, 1955 is known
only from the Seychelles; it is similar to A. trimaculatus but
it has a large black blotch on soft D and lacks the distinct
black spots on the nape and supracleithrum of A. trimaculatus.
KEY TO SPECIES
la D spines 15; body bicoloured, top part including
C and peduncle dark with light vertical ripples,
lower part pale ........................................................ A. kingi
Ib D spines 14; body mainly yellow with 3 round black
blotches: small median 1 on nape and 1 on each
side at upper end of gill opening ......................... A. trimaculatus
204.1 Apolemichthys kingi
Heemstra, 1984
PLATE 73
Tiger angelfish
Tier-engelvis
Apolemichthys kingi Heemstra, 1984: 6, Figs. 1-4 (off Durban, Natal).
D XV,16-17; A III-IV,17-18; P 16-17; GR (4-5)+ 14; LL 31-33; LS 4445.
Colour as shown. Attains at least 21 cm. Known only
from off Natal: Durban, Tongaat and Aliwal Shoal.
204.2 Apolemichthys trimaculatus
(Lacepede, 1831)
PLATE 72
Threespot angelfish
Driekol-engelvis
Holacanthus trimaculatus Lacepede, in Cuv. & Val., 1831: 196, PI. 182
(Molucca); Smith, SFSA No. 586*; 1955: 380*; Steene, 1978: 92*;
Heemstra, 1984: 9.
D XIV,16-18; A III,17-19; P 17; GR (5-6)+(13-14); LS ca. 45-50.
Colour as illustrated. Small juveniles « 5 cm SL) with
black spot at base of D soft-rays and vertical black band
through eye and joined to black spot on nape. Attains 25
cm. Widely distributed in Indo-West Pacific in 15 - 30 m
around coral; reaches-Natal.
Genus Centropyge Kaup, 1860
Lateral line terminates below end of D. Some (perhaps
all) species are protogynous hermaphrodites. Twenty-eight
species, 3 in our area.
624
KEY TO SPECIES
la Front of snout with a U-shaped notch over upper
jaw; body brownish (generally dark) with black
blotch just behind upper end of gill opening .......... C. multispinis
Ib Front of snout more or less straight over upper
jaw; no black blotch behind upper end of gill
opening .......................................................................... 2
2a Head, chest, top of body and D yellow-orange,
rest of body and A dark blue; body depth 2.1-2.3
in SL ............................................................... C. acanthops
2b Body marginally, including vertical fins, violet
to dark brown or black; central part of body
orange to orange-brown with irregular, narrow,
subvertical dark bars; body depth 1.8-2.0 in SL ......... C. bispinosus
204.3 Centropyge acanthops
(Norman, 1922)
PLATE 73
Jumping bean
Springboontj ie
Holacanthus acanthops Norman, 1922: 318 (Durban). Centropyge
fisheri (non Snyder): Smith, SFSA No. 588*. Xiphipops fisheri: Smith, 1955:
379. Xiphipops flavicauda (non Fraser-Brunner): Smith, 1955: 380; 1961:
568, No. 588a. Xiphipops acanthops: Smith, 1975: 45. Centropyge acanthops: Smith, 1980: 178; Allen, 1980: 259*; Heemstra, 1984: 9.
D XIV,16-17; A III,16-18; P 16; GR (5-6)+(15-16); LL ca. 33-37; LS
27-30. Lower rear edge of preorbital with 1-4 large spines.
Colour as illustrated. Attains 8 cm. Somalia to Algoa Bay
among coral rubble from 8 to 40 m; a popular aquarium fish
in Natal. Once confused with Hawaiian endemic C. fisheri
(Snyder, 1904) from which it differs in colour.
204.4 Centropyge bispinosus
(Gunther, 1860)
PLATES 72 & 73
Coral beauty
Koraalmooie
Holacanthus bispinosus Giinther, 1860: 48 (on Holacanthus diacanthus
(non Boddaert): Bleeker, 1857: 57 (Amboina)). Centropyge bispinosus:
Smith, 1955: 379*; Allen, 1979: 328; Heemstra, 1984: 10*.
D XIV,16-18; A III,17-19; P 16; GR (6-8)+(16-17); LS 42-45.
Median fins with narrow blue margin; P yellow; V reddish orange. Attains 10 cm. Tropical Indo-West Pacific,
south to Sodwana Bay; rare in our area.
204.5 Centropyge multispinis
(Playfair, 1867)
Dusky cherub
Donker engeltjie
Holacanthus multispinis Playfair, in Playfair & Giinther, 1867: 37, PI. 6,
Fig. 4 (Zanzibar). Centropyge bispinosus (non Giinther): Smith, SFSA
No. 587*. Centropyge multispinis: Smith, 1955: 378*; 1961: 568, No. 587;
Steene, 1978: 106*; Heemstra, 1984: 11 *.
D XIV,15-17; A III,16-17; P 17; GR (4-5)+(12-13); LL 38; LS 45-48.
Genus Apolemichthys Fraser-Brunner, 1933
Preorbital convex without strong spines; no groove in
spine at preopercle angle. Confined to Indo-West Pacific:
9 species, 2 in our area. A. armitagei Smith, 1955 is known
only from the Seychelles; it is similar to A. trimaculatus but
it has a large black blotch on soft D and lacks the distinct
black spots on the nape and supracleithrum of A. trimaculatus.
KEY TO SPECIES
la D spines 15; body bicoloured, top part including
C and peduncle dark with light vertical ripples,
lower part pale ........................................................ A. kingi
Ib D spines 14; body mainly yellow with 3 round black
blotches: small median 1 on nape and 1 on each
side at upper end of gill opening ......................... A. trimaculatus
204.1 Apolemichthys kingi
Heemstra, 1984
PLATE 73
Tiger angelfish
Tier-engelvis
Apolemichthys kingi Heemstra, 1984: 6, Figs. 1-4 (off Durban, Natal).
D XV,16-17; A III-IV,17-18; P 16-17; GR (4-5)+ 14; LL 31-33; LS 4445.
Colour as shown. Attains at least 21 cm. Known only
from off Natal: Durban, Tongaat and Aliwal Shoal.
204.2 Apolemichthys trimaculatus
(Lacepede, 1831)
PLATE 72
Threespot angelfish
Driekol-engelvis
Holacanthus trimaculatus Lacepede, in Cuv. & Val., 1831: 196, PI. 182
(Molucca); Smith, SFSA No. 586*; 1955: 380*; Steene, 1978: 92*;
Heemstra, 1984: 9.
D XIV,16-18; A III,17-19; P 17; GR (5-6)+(13-14); LS ca. 45-50.
Colour as illustrated. Small juveniles « 5 cm SL) with
black spot at base of D soft-rays and vertical black band
through eye and joined to black spot on nape. Attains 25
cm. Widely distributed in Indo-West Pacific in 15 - 30 m
around coral; reaches-Natal.
Genus Centropyge Kaup, 1860
Lateral line terminates below end of D. Some (perhaps
all) species are protogynous hermaphrodites. Twenty-eight
species, 3 in our area.
624
KEY TO SPECIES
la Front of snout with a U-shaped notch over upper
jaw; body brownish (generally dark) with black
blotch just behind upper end of gill opening .......... C. multispinis
Ib Front of snout more or less straight over upper
jaw; no black blotch behind upper end of gill
opening .......................................................................... 2
2a Head, chest, top of body and D yellow-orange,
rest of body and A dark blue; body depth 2.1-2.3
in SL ............................................................... C. acanthops
2b Body marginally, including vertical fins, violet
to dark brown or black; central part of body
orange to orange-brown with irregular, narrow,
subvertical dark bars; body depth 1.8-2.0 in SL ......... C. bispinosus
204.3 Centropyge acanthops
(Norman, 1922)
PLATE 73
Jumping bean
Springboontj ie
Holacanthus acanthops Norman, 1922: 318 (Durban). Centropyge
fisheri (non Snyder): Smith, SFSA No. 588*. Xiphipops fisheri: Smith, 1955:
379. Xiphipops flavicauda (non Fraser-Brunner): Smith, 1955: 380; 1961:
568, No. 588a. Xiphipops acanthops: Smith, 1975: 45. Centropyge acanthops: Smith, 1980: 178; Allen, 1980: 259*; Heemstra, 1984: 9.
D XIV,16-17; A III,16-18; P 16; GR (5-6)+(15-16); LL ca. 33-37; LS
27-30. Lower rear edge of preorbital with 1-4 large spines.
Colour as illustrated. Attains 8 cm. Somalia to Algoa Bay
among coral rubble from 8 to 40 m; a popular aquarium fish
in Natal. Once confused with Hawaiian endemic C. fisheri
(Snyder, 1904) from which it differs in colour.
204.4 Centropyge bispinosus
(Gunther, 1860)
PLATES 72 & 73
Coral beauty
Koraalmooie
Holacanthus bispinosus Giinther, 1860: 48 (on Holacanthus diacanthus
(non Boddaert): Bleeker, 1857: 57 (Amboina)). Centropyge bispinosus:
Smith, 1955: 379*; Allen, 1979: 328; Heemstra, 1984: 10*.
D XIV,16-18; A III,17-19; P 16; GR (6-8)+(16-17); LS 42-45.
Median fins with narrow blue margin; P yellow; V reddish orange. Attains 10 cm. Tropical Indo-West Pacific,
south to Sodwana Bay; rare in our area.
204.5 Centropyge multispinis
(Playfair, 1867)
Dusky cherub
Donker engeltjie
Holacanthus multispinis Playfair, in Playfair & Giinther, 1867: 37, PI. 6,
Fig. 4 (Zanzibar). Centropyge bispinosus (non Giinther): Smith, SFSA
No. 587*. Centropyge multispinis: Smith, 1955: 378*; 1961: 568, No. 587;
Steene, 1978: 106*; Heemstra, 1984: 11 *.
D XIV,15-17; A III,16-17; P 17; GR (4-5)+(12-13); LL 38; LS 45-48.