Coral beauty
A small marine angelfish with dark purplish-blue body and orange bars.
Last updated
The coral beauty (Centropyge bispinosa), also known as the twospined angelfish or dusky angelfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish in the family Pomacanthidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region and is frequently seen in the aquarium trade.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassActinopterygii
- DivisionTeleostei
- OrderAcanthuriformes
- FamilyPomacanthidae
- GenusCentropyge
- SpeciesCentropyge bispinosa
Named by (Günther, 1860)
Close relatives
Other species of Centropyge with a Codexery entry.
- Flame angelfish Centropyge loricula
- Bicolor angelfish Centropyge bicolor
- Blue velvet angelfish Centropyge deborae
- Centropyge abei Centropyge abei
- Centropyge eibli Centropyge eibli
- Centropyge ferrugata Centropyge ferrugata
- Centropyge fisheri
- Centropyge flavipectoralis
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Twospined angelfish (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 278830 (CC BY 4.0)
Conservation status
Least Concern (LC)
- LC▲ this species
- NT
- VU
- EN
- CR
- EW
- EX
Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category
How big is it?
Largest length in the source, 0.1 m, next to a 1.8 m person.
Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Twospined angelfish
Where the coral beauty has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (5,459 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 15 inland records left out (institution coordinates).
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)
Background
The coral beauty has a dark purplish-blue body marked with irregular orange vertical bars on its flanks. Its dorsal, caudal, and anal fins have a bright blue margin. The dorsal fin contains 14 spines and 17–18 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 17–19 soft rays. It reaches a maximum total length of 10 centimeters.
This species is found across the Indo-Pacific, from the coast of East Africa between Tanzania and South Africa east to the Tuamotu Islands of French Polynesia, north to the Izu Islands of Japan, and south to Lord Howe Island. In Australia, it occurs at the Rowley Shoals, Scott Reef, Ashmore Reef, and along the east coast from Raine Island to Bass Point, as well as Christmas Island, Norfolk Island, Elizabeth Reef, Middleton Reef, and Kenn Reef. It inhabits coral reefs at depths of 5 to 50 meters, most commonly around drop offs, and also in lagoons and rubble patches.
The coral beauty lives in small social groups consisting of a single male and a few females. It is a protogynous hermaphrodite: the most dominant female in a group will change sex to become male if the existing male dies or disappears. Its diet consists of algae and detritus.
More in Angelfish
Elsewhere in Reef Aquarium Species
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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.
- Wikipedia: Twospined angelfish (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Classification: the source article's taxobox; order, family and genus checked against WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species (CC BY 4.0).
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List assessment.
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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