Centropyge fisheri

Lore & Background

Centropyge fisheri varies in colour from deep blue to orange-brown. The caudal fin is whitish to pale yellow and is almost transparent. The dorsal, anal and pelvic fins have vivid blue margins and there are blue streaks along the posterior edge of the dorsal and anal fins. This species attains a maximum total length of 8.4 centimetres (3.3 in).

It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution, found on the East African coast in Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania across the Indian Ocean and into the Pacific Ocean as far as Hawaii and Johnston Atoll and Tuamotu. Its range extends north to southern Japan and south to the Great Barrier Reef. In Australia it can be found at Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands as well as on the reefs off Western Australia, in the Timor Sea and on the east coast as far south as Cook Island in New South Wales while juveniles reach as far south as Bass Point.

Centropyge fisheri was first formally described as Holocanthus fisheri in 1904 by the American ichthyologist John Otterbein Snyder with the type locality given as off Diamond Head on Oahu in Hawaii. The specific name honours the zoologist Walter Kenrick Fisher of Stanford University. Within the genus Centropyge this species is considered, by some authorities, to be in the subgenus Xiphypops. C. fisheri was considered to be restricted to Hawaii but the more widespread C. flavicauda is now considered to be synonymous with it.

Reader's Guide

Centropyge fisheri is a species of marine angelfish in the family Pomacanthidae, found across the Indo-Pacific region. Its significance lies in its wide distribution and the taxonomic history that once separated it from the similar Centropyge flavicauda, which is now considered synonymous. The species was originally described as Holocanthus fisheri in 1904 by John Otterbein Snyder, with the type locality off Diamond Head on Oahu, Hawaii. The specific name honors zoologist Walter Kenrick Fisher. Some authorities place it within the subgenus Xiphypops. The fish inhabits coral-rich bottoms of channels, reef slopes, and areas of rubble at depths between 3 and 60 metres. It is frequently found in areas of brittle corals and coralline algae, sharing habitat with damselfish and smaller wrasses. Typically encountered in small groups, its diet consists mainly of algae but also includes some worms and crustaceans. The species is a protogynous hermaphrodite, meaning the dominant female in a group will change sex if there is no male present. Its variable coloration—from deep blue to orange-brown—and distinctive fin markings contribute to its recognition among reef fishes.

Did You Know?

• Centropyge fisheri is a protogynous hermaphrodite; the dominant female will change sex if no male is present.
• The more widespread Centropyge flavicauda is now considered synonymous with Centropyge fisheri.