Yellow angelfish (Centropyge heraldi)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Acanthuriformes · Family: Pomacanthidae · Genus: Centropyge.

Accepted name: Centropyge heraldi · Authority: Woods & Schultz, 1953 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 278837.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Pomacanthus heraldi (Woods & Schultz, 1953).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278837 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Centropyge heraldi. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 12 cm · Depth range: 5–90 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: commercial.

FishBase notes: Inhabits steep outer reef slopes, occasionally on lagoon reefs (Ref. 9710). Herbivorous (Ref. 33482). Forms harems of 2-4 individuals. Frequently exported through the aquarium trade (Ref. 48391).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 5665) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Centropyge-heraldi.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

1,471 georeferenced occurrence records for Centropyge heraldi are published through GBIF from 24 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 159 distinct locations from a sample of 1,471 records, omitting 8 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Northern Mariana Islands (453); American Samoa (249); Guam (218); French Polynesia (195); Australia (137).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2396551) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2396551&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278837 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Centropyge heraldi Woods & Schultz, 1953 as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 165848) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165848/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2396551) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2396551/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The angelfish is named after Earl Stannard Herald. He died in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, in a scuba diving accident.

Centropyge heraldi is a yellowish orange fish. There is a patch of darker olive, with some spots concolorous with the body, within it around the eye. The dorsal fin contains 15 spines and 15 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 17 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 12 cm.

Centropyge heraldi has a wide range in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. This range extends from southern Japan and Taiwan east as far as the Tuamotu Islands and south to Australia. In Australia it can be found along the Great Barrier Reef south to the Solitary Islands in New South Wales, as well as on some Coral Sea reefs.

Centropyge heraldi is found at depths between 8 and 45 m and is most commonly recorded on outer reef slopes, and occasionally on lagoon reefs. This species is usually found in small harems of a male and one to three females. Females may change to males when there is no male present. It is a herbivorous species which feeds on filamentous algae.

Centropyge heraldi was first formally described in 1953 by the Americans Loren Paul Woods (1914-1979) and Leonard Peter Schultz (1901-1986) with the type locality given as Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The specific name honours the American ichthyologist and public aquarium director Earl Stannard Herald (1914-1973) who assisted in the collection of the type. Within the genus Centropyge this species is considered, by some authorities, to be in the subgenus Centropyge.

Centropyge heraldi sometimes appears in the aquarium trade.

Source: Wikipedia: Centropyge heraldi — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centropyge_heraldi (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.