Orangeback angelfish (Centropyge acanthops)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Centropyge acanthops · Authority: (Norman, 1922) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 211775.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Centropyges acanthops (Norman, 1922); Holacanthus acanthops Norman, 1922; Xiphipops acanthops (Norman, 1922).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=211775 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 8 cm · Depth range: 6–40 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Fishery importance: of no interest · Aquarium trade: commercial.

FishBase notes: Inhabits areas with coral rubble and frequently occurs in small groups of up to about 10 individuals. Feeds on small invertebrates and algae (Ref. 5503).

Spawns at sunset; male stimulating the emission of eggs with biting motions on female's abdomen; eggs released and abandoned in open water without any particular parental care (Ref. 5503). Popular aquarium fish in Natal. Occasionally exported from Kenya.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 9222) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Centropyge-acanthops.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

156 georeferenced occurrence records for Centropyge acanthops are published through GBIF from 14 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 47 distinct locations from a sample of 156 records, omitting 5 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: South Africa (54); Réunion (24); Seychelles (23); Mozambique (13); Kenya (9); Mauritius (8); Comoros (6); French Southern Territories (6); Madagascar (4); Mayotte (4); Yemen (2); Indonesia (1); Maldives (1); Tanzania, United Republic of (1).

Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: Kenyan Exclusive Economic Zone; Tanzanian Exclusive Economic Zone; Mozambican Exclusive Economic Zone; Somali Exclusive Economic Zone; Mauritian Exclusive Economic Zone; Seychellois Exclusive Economic Zone; Réunion Exclusive Economic Zone; Madagascar; South Africa (country); Chagos; Cargados Carajos.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2396533) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2396533&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=211775 (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 acanthops (Norman, 1922) 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 155083) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/155083/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2396533) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2396533/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The orangeback angelfish has the head, upper flanks, the dorsal fin and the caudal fin are golden yellow in colour. The lower flanks and the anal fin are black with many dense purple spots. Their eyes are ringed with blue. This species attains a maximum total length of 8 cm.

Distribution

The orangeback angelfish is found in the western Indian Ocean. It occurs along the East African coast from Somalia south to East London in the Eastern Cape Province, as well as Madagascar, Seychelles, Comoros, the Chagos Islands and the Mascarene Islands. In Asia it has been recorded from the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea off Yemen, including Socotra, and Oman as well as the Maldives. It has also been recorded from the Australian territory of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

Habitat and biology

The orangeback angelfish is found at depths between 1 and 70 m, usually near coral and frequently in area of coral rubble where it likes to hide among the rubble. It prefers areas with dense algal growth and it grazes on algae and small invertebrates.

It is a social species which is typically encountered in groups of up to 10 fishes. They are protogynous hermaphrodites in which the most dominant female in a group becomes male, this can be reversed if the dominance is lost. This species spawns at dusk, the male bites the females on the abdomen to stimulate her to lay eggs he fertilises and the eggs are then left to drift on the current.

Systematics

The orangeback angelfish was first formally described as Holacanthus acanthops in 1922 by the English ichthyologist John Roxborough Norman (1898-1944) with the type locality given as Durban. In some classifications it is placed in the subgenus Xiphipops. The specific name acanthops is a compound of acanthus meaning "spine" and ops meaning "eye" and is a reference to the rearward directed spine under the eye.

Utilisation

The orangeback angelfish is common and popular in the aquarium trade. It has been bred in captivity.

Source: Wikipedia: Orangeback angelfish — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangeback_angelfish (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.