Orangeface angelfish (Chaetodontoplus chrysocephalus)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Chaetodontoplus chrysocephalus · Authority: (Bleeker, 1855) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 280115.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Holacanthus chrysocephalus Bleeker, 1855.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=280115 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 22 cm · Depth range: 15–25 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 12 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: commercial.

FishBase notes: Least known (Ref. 48636). A rare species that inhabits deep rocky reefs (Ref. 9710). Feeds on sponges and tunicates. Rarely exported through the aquarium trade (Ref. 48391).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 11119) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Chaetodontoplus-chrysocephalus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Chaetodontoplus chrysocephalus (Bleeker, 1855) 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 165826) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/165826/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2396582) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2396582/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

The orange face angelfish has a brownish-orange face which contrasts with the body's pattern of greenish-blue stripes. The body darkens to dark brown towards the vivid yellow caudal fin. The dorsal fin contains 13 spines and 17-18 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 17-18 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 22 cm.

The orange face angelfish is found in the western Pacific Ocean. It is a poorly known species which has been reliably reported only from the Java Sea of Indonesia. Records from other areas, such as the Philippines or Taiwan, are considered likely to be attributable to misidentifications of related species notably C. caeruleopunctatus and C. cephalareticulatus. The most recent report was around the year 2002 at Karimnjawa on the Java Sea.

The orangeface angelfish has been recorded at depths of 20 to 25 m in the Java Sea. However, the biology of this species is very poorly known, it is thought that it is likely to live on deep rocky reefs. Its diet consists of sponges and tunicates.

The orangeface angelfish was first formally described in 1855 as Holocanthus chrysocephalus by the Dutch ichthyologist, herpetologist and physician Pieter Bleeker (1819-1878) with the type locality given as Jakarta. The specific name is a compound of the Greek chrysos meaning "gold" and cephalus meaning "head", a reference to the yellowish-orange head colour.

The orangeface angelfish occurs extremely infrequently in the aquarium trade.

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