Marine Angelfish Codexery

Orangeback angelfish

A marine angelfish found in the western Indian Ocean.

Last updated

Orangeback angelfish

Philippe Bourjon · via Wikipedia: Orangeback angelfish · CC BY-SA 3.0

The orangeback angelfish has a golden yellow head, upper flanks, dorsal fin, and caudal fin, while its lower flanks and anal fin are black with dense purple spots and its eyes are ringed with blue.[1] The orangeback angelfish can grow up to 8 cm in total length.[1]

Scientific classification

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

Named by (Norman, 1922)

Close relatives

Other species of Centropyge with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Orangeback angelfish (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 211775 (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 orangeback angelfish has been recorded

Where the orangeback angelfish has been recorded46 mapped locations from 156 GBIF occurrence records

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (156 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 5 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)

Biology and range

The western Indian Ocean is the natural habitat of the orangeback angelfish.[2] This fish lives at depths ranging from 1 to 70 m, typically close to coral and in coral rubble zones where it can conceal itself.[3] Orangeback angelfish are social creatures, usually seen in groups numbering up to 10 individuals.[3]

What the specialist sources record

The Saltcorner! species library notes the orangeback angelfish reaches a size of 3 inches (7 cm) and inhabits coral rubble areas at depths of 10 to 40 m, often in small groups containing one male, three females, and several juveniles.[4] The Saltcorner! account describes its body as deep blue with an orange-yellow face and upper body, and eyes circled in blue.[4] The Saltcorner! source also states that all Centropyge species start life as unsexed individuals and begin adult life as females.[4] A 2020 reefbuilders.com article by Jake Adams reports that the African flameback angelfish reaches a maximum size of 2.5 inches, usually staying around 5 cm, and is now available captive bred from Oceans, Reefs, & Aquariums.[5]

The GBIF database holds 201 occurrence records for this taxon as of 7 October 2026.[6]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Orangeback angelfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; "Centropyge acanthops", Saltcorner!, 2012; (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Orangeback angelfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Fricke, R., "Centropyge acanthops", 2010; Dianne J. Bray., "Centropyge acanthops", Fishes of Australia (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Orangeback angelfish" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Fricke, R., "Centropyge acanthops", 2010 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. "Centropyge acanthops", Saltcorner!, 2012. facts only, no text reused. saltcorner.com
  5. Jake Adams, "African Flameback Now Being Cultured by ORA", reefbuilders.com, 21 April 2020. facts only, no text reused. reefbuilders.com
  6. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Centropyge acanthops (taxon key 2396533). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Orangeback angelfish (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 watanabei

More in Marine Angelfish

Peppermint angelfishCentropyge potteriCentropyge venustaResplendent pygmy angelfishCentropyge shepardiCentropyge tibicenTwospined angelfishCentropyge vrolikiiChaetodontoplus ballinaeChaetodontoplus melanosomaChaetodontoplus caeruleopunctatusChaetodontoplus septentrionalis

Test yourself

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

1. What is the scientific name of the orangeback angelfish?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Centropyge acanthops.

2. Who first scientifically described the orangeback angelfish?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is John Roxborough Norman.

3. In what year was the orangeback angelfish first scientifically described?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1922.

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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