All fish / Pomacanthidae

Coral Beauty Angelfish

Centropyge bispinosa

Also known as coral beauty, twospined angelfish, two-spined angelfish, dusky angelfish, coral beauty angel, bispinosa angel, アカハラヤッコ, angel coral beauty, 蓝闪电神仙, 双棘刺尻鱼, 珊瑚美人

A small dwarf angelfish with a deep blue to purple body and orange to yellow flanks marked with thin dark vertical bars, though the amount of orange varies a lot by region. It is one of the hardiest and most widely available dwarf angels, so it is a popular choice for a lively splash of colour in reef and fish-only tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

9 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Keep singly, or as a pair in a large tank; one dwarf angel per tank unless very large

Diet

Omnivore: algae and spirulina-based foods, marine pellets, mysis and brine shrimp

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific, from East Africa to the Tuamotus and from southern Japan to Australia

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite that lives in harems, with pairs spawning at dusk and releasing floating eggs. Spawning sometimes happens in large aquariums, but rearing the tiny pelagic larvae is very difficult and rarely achieved at home.

Good to know

May nip at large-polyp stony corals, clams and zoanthids, so it is only reasonably reef safe. Can be aggressive towards other dwarf angels and similarly shaped fish, so add it last to an established tank with plenty of live rock.