A bandit angelfish is a very special fish to begin with but a tail-less Apolemichthys arcuatus is unheard of. This wild-caught specimen is the first documentation of tail-less-ness in this species that we know and while it looks really strange in some species, the effect is incredible in the bandit angelfish.
The way the black and white coloration of the tailless bandit angelfish frame and highlight its missing tail is fascinating. The heart-shaped tailless bandit angelfish was collected by Pacific Island Aquatics in Hawaii and we are told the five inch (13cm) fish “is a boss”.
If a tail-less fish is not your thing, no big deal, we are not advocating for it, but simply marveling in the wonder of this fish; that it was born, that it grew large and that it survived all the challenges of the ocean without its main propulsion organ. Regardless of what you think of this mutant, you gotta admit that this fish has heart and a tenacity to live against all odds.
