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POTTER’S ANGELFISH Centropyge potteri (Jordan & Metz, 1912)

Dorsal rays XIV,16–18; anal rays III,17–18; pectoral rays 17–18 (rarely 18); longitudinal scale series 44–45; body depth 1.75–2.0 in standard length; no enlarged spines on preorbital; posterior dorsal and anal fins rounded, extending slightly beyond base of caudal fin; caudal fin rounded; pelvic fins reaching beyond origin of anal fin; head, chest, and dorsal part of body orange with narrow, irregular grayish blue bars; lower half to two-thirds of body, including base of caudal fin and rear base of dorsal and anal fins, deep grayish blue with narrow, irregular black bars; margin of soft portions of dorsal, anal, and caudal fins blue, bRoad posteriorly where interrupted by black-edged orange bands; pectoral fins with yellow rays; pelvic fins orange. Males are darker in center of body. A rare color morph is dark brown (no orange) with the same bright blue markings, and another is blue with the usual black markings. Attains nearly 13 cm (5 inches).

Distribution: Hawaiian Islands (type locality, Honolulu) and Johnston Island. Remarks: The most common of Hawaiian angelfishes. The third most common aquarium fish collected in Hawai‘i (unpublished report on Hawai‘i’s aquarium-fish fishery by Leighton R. Taylor, 1974); does well in aquaria. Occurs at depths of 5–138 m (16–453 feet). Lobel (1978) and Lutnesky (1992, 1994, 1995) studied the reproduction. The spawning season is December to May; spawning takes place at dusk every evening for a week preceding a full moon. Males maintain a harem of two to seven females; when a male is removed, the dominant female changes sex to become the new male of the harem. Named for Frederick A. Potter, the first Director of the waikiki Aquarium, from 1903 to 1940.

MASKED ANGELFISH Genicanthus personatus Randall, 1975

Dorsal rays XIV,17–18 (usually 17); anal rays III, 16– 17 (usually 17); pectoral rays 17; lateral line complete; longitudinal scale series 45–48; body depth 2.05–2.4 in standard length; 8–13 spines on preorbital bone, none enlarged; one to three small spines on lower margin of preopercle; caudal fin emarginate in females, lunate in males; pelvic fins reaching origin of anal fin; females white, the scale edges light gray; front of head enclosing eye variably black; a bRoad black bar posteriorly on caudal peduncle and basal half of caudal fin; dorsal and anal fins white; pelvic fins white or white anteriorly and orange posteriorly; males white, but with front of head pale orange, outer part of dorsal and anal fins orange, and pelvic fins orange. Reaches 25 cm (10 inches).

Distribution: Known only from the Hawaiian Islands (type locality, off Magic Island, O‘ahu).

Remarks: Described from four female fish collected in 23–84 m (75–275 feet) from O‘ahu and Hawai‘i. Two males were taken by trawl in 51 m off Nihoa and described by Randall & Struhsaker (1976). This species is usually found in the main Hawaiian Islands deeper than 45 m and ranges to 174 m (571 feet), but it is fairly common in scuba-diving depths in the cooler sea of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Feeds primarily on zooplankton. High-priced as an aquarium fish, but it does not do well in aquaria. The best results are with juveniles. Named personatus from the Latin word for masked.
Centropyge potteri, Maui
Genicanthus personatus, female, Midway
Genicanthus personatus, male, Midway