Taxonomic revision of the angelfishes family Pomacanthidae in China

Abstract:

Pomacanthidae is one of the main groups of tropical coral reef fish. Because of the color gorgeous appearance and elegant body shape, it is called angelfish. Pomacanthidae is a kind of international famous ornamental fish, 8 genera and 89 species have been recorded in the world. This paper comprehensively reviews the research history of Pomacanthidae fishes in the world, and summarizes the classification and phylogenetic relationships among the genera. Based on the measurement and examination of the collected specimens of the main fish specimens in China, combined with the literature and synonym research, this paper found that the Pomacanthidae in China has 7 genera and 30 species. These species are all distributed in the vicinity of the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, indicating that the South China Sea is one of the main distribution areas of Pomacanthidae in the world. An identification key to Chinese Pomacanthidae comprising 7 genera and 30 species is made here.