All fish / Pomacanthidae

African flameback angelfish

Centropyge acanthops

Also known as orange-back angelfish, orangeback angelfish, african pygmy angelfish, flameback angelfish, african flameback, jewel-tail angelfish, orange back pygmy angel, アフリカンフレームバックエンゼル, 非洲火背仙

A small dwarf angelfish with a deep blue body, a bright orange-yellow band running from the head along the back, and a clear or pale tail. It is kept for its strong colours, hardy nature and small adult size, which suits medium reef and fish-only tanks with plenty of live rock.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Keep singly, or as a male and female pair in a larger tank

Diet

Omnivore: grazes algae and film on rock, plus frozen mysis, brine shrimp, spirulina-based foods and quality marine flakes or pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Indian Ocean: East Africa, Red Sea approaches, Madagascar, Mauritius to the Maldives and Chagos

Breeding

It forms harems in the wild and pairs spawn pelagic eggs at dusk, with females able to change into males. Spawning has been seen in home tanks, but rearing the tiny larvae is very difficult and rarely achieved outside specialist facilities.

Good to know

May nip at clams, large-polyp stony corals and soft corals, so it is not fully reef safe, and it will fight other dwarf angelfish in small tanks. Do not confuse it with the Atlantic flameback (Centropyge aurantonotus), which has a blue rather than clear tail.