Centropyge multispinis

Lore & Background

Centropyge multispinis has a body with a dusky background colour marked with black vertical bars along the flanks. The rear dorsal and anal fins have bright blue margins. The dorsal fin contains 14 spines and 15-17 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 16-17 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 14 centimetres (5.5 in).

It is found in the northern and western Indian Ocean, on the eastern coast of Africa including the Red Sea and across the Indian Ocean to Thailand and Sumatra. Its presence in Madagascar has to be confirmed, and there is a record from Darwin, Northern Territory, which possibly represents a misidentification. It occurs at depths between 1 and 30 metres, in areas of rubble in the vicinity of coral reefs, although it may also be found in lagoon reefs and outer reef slopes.

The diet of Centropyge multispinis is made up of algae and detritus. This species is a protogynous hermaphrodite and has the ability to change sex from female to male. When there is no male present, one of the females will change into a male. The specific name multispinis refers to the 2-4 spines on the interoperculum.

Reader's Guide

Centropyge multispinis is notable as one of the commonest angelfish species in the Indian Ocean, according to the source article. Its distribution spans the northern and western Indian Ocean, from the eastern coast of Africa and the Red Sea to Thailand and Sumatra, though its presence in Madagascar remains unconfirmed and a record from Darwin may be a misidentification. The species was first formally described in 1867 by Scottish naturalist Lambert Playfair, with the type locality given as Zanzibar. Its specific name, multispinis, refers to the 2-4 spines on the interoperculum. Some authorities place this species in the subgenus Centropyge. In terms of human use, Centropyge multispinis is infrequently available in the aquarium trade. Its biology includes a diet of algae and detritus, and it is a protogynous hermaphrodite capable of changing sex from female to male when no male is present. The species inhabits depths between 1 and 30 metres, favoring rubble areas near coral reefs, lagoon reefs, and outer reef slopes.