All fish / Pomacanthidae

Eibl's Angelfish

Centropyge eibli

Also known as eibli angelfish, eibl's angel, blacktail angelfish, red stripe angelfish, orange-lined angelfish, eibli angel, eibl angelfish, ヤイトヤッコ, injel eibli, 黑尾刺尻鱼, 艾氏刺尻鱼

A dwarf angelfish with a pale grey-silver body crossed by thin wavy orange bars and a black tail fin edged in blue. It is hardy for an angelfish and is kept for its quiet colouring and busy grazing among live rock.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

12 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; only one dwarf angel per tank unless the tank is very large

Diet

Omnivore: algae and spirulina-based foods, mysis, brine shrimp, marine flakes and pellets, plus live rock to graze

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Eastern Indian Ocean: Sri Lanka and Andaman Sea to Indonesia and northwest Australia

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite that spawns in pairs or harems at dusk, releasing floating eggs. Spawning sometimes happens in aquariums but rearing the tiny larvae is very difficult and rarely achieved.

Good to know

May nip at large-polyp stony corals, clams and soft coral polyps, so it is only partly reef safe. Mimic surgeonfish (Acanthurus tristis) copies its pattern and can be confused with it.