The dwarf or pygmy angelfish from the genus Centropyge make excellent saltwater aquarium inhabitants due to their small size, often bright coloration and the fact they are generally long-lived. Here are nine relatively hardy species that make excellent beginner fish. For each species, you will find the species’ common(s), scientific name, relative price, adult size, recommended minimum tank size, and natural distribution and depth range.
All of the dwarf angelfish listed here are reef-compatible with caution, semi-aggressive and appreciate high water quality. They should readily adopt a captive diet including most frozen and prepared foods. Feed frozen mysis shrimp and spirulina algae if the tank is not well established with live rock.
The depth range is listed for each species because it is important to remember that many of these fishes are collected at great depth requiring careful collection practices. It is not uncommon to see a fish suffering from improper decompression during capture, and this fish is unlikely to survive (and hobbyists should not be supporting retailers that buy and sell such fish). Likewise, many of these fish should be kept in a dimly lit tank or will need to be slowly acclimated to high intensity reef lighting.
Dwarf angelfish need an aquarium with plenty of hiding places and prefer a tank with live rock and lots of forage (allow that algae to grow on non-living surfaces). Only one member of a given species should be housed in an aquarium unless that aquarium is VERY large. Dwarf angelfish often display aggression toward other dwarf angelfish—if you are going to house two species in the same aquarium, add them at the same time.
African Flameback Angelfish, Orangeback Angelfish
Centropyge acanthops
Price: $$$$$$
Adult Size: 3”
Minimum Tank Size: 24gal
Tropical, Western Indian Ocean
Depth range: 24-120 feet
Brazilian Flameback Angelfish, Flameback Angelfish
Centropyge aurantonotus
Price: $$$$$
Adult Size: 3”
Minimum Tank Size: 24gal
Tropical, Western Atlantic
Depth Range 36-600 feet
Cherub Angelfish, Cherubfish
Centropyge argi
Price: $$
Adult Size: 3”
Minimum Tank Size: 24gal
Subtropical, Western Atlantic
Depth Range: 15-240 feet
Coral Beauty Angelfish, Twospined Angelfish
Centropyge bispinosa
Price: $$
Adult Size: 4”
Minimum Tank Size: 30ga
Tropical, Indo-Pacific (excluding Red Sea, Hawaii, and Southern Pacific Ocean)
Depth Range 27-135 feet
Eibl's Angelfish, Blacktail angelfish
Centropyge eibli
Price: $$
Adult Size: 6”
Minimum Tank Size: 30gal
Tropical, Indo-West Pacific
Depth Range 30-90 feet
Flame Angelfish
Centropyge loricula
Price: $$$$
Adult Size: 6”
Minimum Tank Size: 30gal
Tropical, Pacific Ocean
Depth Range: 45-180 feet
Half-Black Angelfish, Pearlscale Angelfish
Centropyge vrolikii
Price: $
Adult Size: 5”
Minimum Tank Size: 30gal
Tropical, Western Pacific
Depth Range 9-75 feet
Pacific Pygmy Angelfish, Whitetail angelfish
Centropyge flavicauda
Price: $$
Adult Size: 3”
Minimum Tank Size: 24gal
Tropical, Indo-Pacific (replaced by Centropyge fisheri in the Hawaiian Islands)
Depth Range 30-180 feet
Rusty Angelfish
Centropyge ferrugata
Price: $
Adult Size: 4”
Minimum Tank Size: 30gal
Tropical, Western Pacific
Depth Range 18-90 feet
