Narc angelfish (Centropyge narcosis)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Centropyge narcosis · Authority: Pyle & Randall, 1993 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 278845.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278845 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 5.510000228881836 cm · Depth range: 100–128 m · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Observed within interstices of cracks and caves along vertical drop-offs at depths below 100 m. Natural diet is unknown but accepts a wide range of food (Ref. 26238). Forms pairs or small groups. Almost never exported through the aquarium trade (Ref. 48391).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 47059) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Centropyge-narcosis.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Centropyge narcosis Pyle & Randall, 1993 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 165903) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165903/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2396522) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2396522/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Centropyge narcosis is vivid yellow over the whole of its body and fins broken only by a large black blotch in the middle of the upper flank. This is a small species which attains a maximum total length of 5.5 cm.

Centropyge narcosis is endemic to the Cook Islands where it has been only recorded from the waters around Rarotonga.

Centropyge narcosis is found at depths between 100 and 120 m. It is normally found in pairs or small groups in caves and in cracks on steep drop offs.

It is a little known species and its natural diet is a mystery but in captivity it will eat a variety of foods. This species usually swims "upside down", swimming with its head down and its underside very close to the substrate. When it perceives a threat, it will adopt a head down position, erect the spines in its dorsal fin and use the spots on its flanks to impersonate a large predatory fish.

Centropyge narcosis was first formally described in 1993 by Richard Pyle and John Ernest Randall (1924-2020). The specific name, narcosis, refers to the extreme effects of nitrogen narcosis that the Richard Pyle and Charles "Chip" Boyle suffered when they collected the holotype at a depth greater than 100 m while using conventional SCUBA equipment. Some authorities place this species in the subgenus Centropyge.

Centropyge narcosis is very rare in the aquarium trade and commands high prices when it does come up for sale.

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