Marine Angelfish Codexery

Centropyge ferrugata

A Western Pacific angelfish with black-spotted brownish-orange body.

Last updated

Centropyge ferrugata

Izuzuki diver · via Wikipedia: Centropyge ferrugata · CC BY-SA 2.5

The rusty angelfish reaches a maximum size of 10 cm in total length.[1][2] A burnt orange body with black flecks on the upper half characterizes Centropyge ferrugata.[2][3]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassActinopterygii
  4. DivisionTeleostei
  5. OrderAcanthuriformes
  6. FamilyPomacanthidae
  7. GenusCentropyge
  8. SpeciesCentropyge ferrugata

Named by Randall & Burgess, 1972

Close relatives

Other species of Centropyge with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Centropyge ferrugata (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 278834 (CC BY 4.0)

Conservation status

Least Concern (LC)

  1. LC▲ this species
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX
Population trend
Not held in our sources — see the assessment
Assessment published
2010

Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category

Where the centropyge ferrugata has been recorded

Where the centropyge ferrugata has been recorded22 mapped locations from 72 GBIF occurrence records; marked places: Ishigaki, Okinawa, Ishigaki Island, Ryukyu IslandsIshigaki, OkinawaIshigaki IslandRyukyu Islands

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (72 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 2 inland records left out (institution coordinates). 1 isolated far-off record not drawn.

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Quick Facts

Dorsal fin spines
14
Dorsal fin soft rays
17
Anal fin spines
3
Anal fin soft rays
17-18
Type locality
reef one half mile off the harbour of Ishigaki City, Ishigaki, Ryukyu Islands

Facts from the source article.

Biology and range

This species inhabits the western Pacific Ocean.[1][2] Seaward rocky reefs and rubble zones with thick algal growth are its preferred habitats.[4] Individuals may be solitary or form small aggregations.[5][2] Grazing on filamentous algae mats is a common feeding behavior.[5]

What the specialist sources record

The Saltcorner! account notes the diet consists mainly of algae and detritus, yet also consumes coral polyps, sponges, and small snails.[2] The same source states all Centropyge species start life as unsexed individuals, but begin their adult life as females.[2] The reefapp.net account lists this species as liking to eat tubeworms.[6] The ETYFish Project database records the first formal description in 1972 by John Ernest Randall and Warren E. Burgess, with the type locality given as a reef off Ishigaki City, Ryukyu Islands.[7][8]

The GBIF database holds 255 occurrence records for this taxon as of 7 October 2026.[9] The WoRMS database records the species as accepted in the family Pomacanthidae, order Acanthuriformes.[10]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Centropyge ferrugata" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
  2. "Centropyge ferrugata", Saltcorner!, 2012. facts only, no text reused. saltcorner.com
  3. Wikipedia, "Centropyge ferrugata" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Centropyge ferrugata", Saltcorner!, 2012 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Centropyge ferrugata" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Pyle, R., "Centropyge ferrugata", 2010 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Centropyge ferrugata" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; Pyle, R., "Centropyge ferrugata", 2010; "Centropyge ferrugata", Saltcorner!, 2012; "Centropyge ferrugata", reefapp.net (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. "Centropyge ferrugata", reefapp.net. facts only, no text reused. reefapp.net
  7. Wikipedia, "Centropyge ferrugata" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; "Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 1): Families LOBOTIDAE, POMACANTHIDAE, DREPANEIDAE and CHAETODONTIDAE", The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database, 21 July 2020 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  8. "Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 1): Families LOBOTIDAE, POMACANTHIDAE, DREPANEIDAE and CHAETODONTIDAE", The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database, 21 July 2020. facts only, no text reused. etyfish.org
  9. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Centropyge ferrugata (taxon key 2396542). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org
  10. World Register of Marine Species, Centropyge ferrugata (AphiaID 278834). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Centropyge ferrugata (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Same family (Pomacanthidae)

Apolemichthys griffisi Apolemichthys griffisiApolemichthys xanthotis Apolemichthys xanthotisArabian angelfish Pomacanthus asfurBlackedged angelfish Genicanthus watanabeiChaetodontoplus ballinae Chaetodontoplus ballinaeChaetodontoplus caeruleopunctatus Chaetodontoplus caeruleopunctatus

Named in this entry

Genus

More in Marine Angelfish

Centropyge fisheriFlame angelfishFlameback angelfishCentropyge flavipectoralisGolden angelfishCentropyge heraldiJapanese angelfishCentropyge joculatorLemonpeel angelfishCentropyge multicolorCentropyge multispinisCentropyge nahackyi

Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. Who first scientifically described the Centropyge ferrugata?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Warren E. Burgess.

2. To which biological family does the Centropyge ferrugata belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Pomacanthidae.

3. In what year was Centropyge ferrugata first scientifically described?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1972.

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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