Anyone have a townsend angel?

[littlefoxx]

Does anyone have a townsend angel (hybrid of the queen and blue angel??) Been looking at pictures online, just curious what one looks like in real life since some show the same fish labeled as a blue, queen or hybrid. Mostly just curious about the colorings!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Does anyone have a townsend angel (hybrid of the queen and blue angel??) Been looking at pictures online, just curious what one looks like in real life since some show the same fish labeled as a blue, queen or hybrid. Mostly just curious about the colorings!

So - here is a funny thing - originally, back in the 1970's, the "townsends angel" was any really colorful sub-adult queen angel that shows a lot of orange instead of yellow. These got a much higher price than any regular queen or blue angel. This coloration was based on the fish's upbringing (living in outer reef areas and being brighter in color). At some point, the name became used for the queen/blue hybrid that are more muted in coloration.

 

[littlefoxx]

So - here is a funny thing - originally, back in the 1970's, the "townsends angel" was any really colorful sub-adult queen angel that shows a lot of orange instead of yellow. These got a much higher price than any regular queen or blue angel. This coloration was based on the fish's upbringing (living in outer reef areas and being brighter in color). At some point, the name became used for the queen/blue hybrid that are more muted in coloration.

Ah so essentially if I was looking for a really colorful one a queen angel would have more color than the hybrid? Pictures online are super misleading!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Ah so essentially if I was looking for a really colorful one a queen angel would have more color than the hybrid? Pictures online are super misleading!

I think so. The hybrids just look like slightly more colorful blue angels to me, as they mature, they have a small crown.

 

[Mickle]

Search them up on iNat, there are photos of adult specimens verified by knowledgeable people. Juveniles have been washing up on the east coast this year too