All fish / Pomacanthidae

Flame Angelfish

Centropyge loriculus

Also known as flame angel, flame dwarf angelfish, flaming angelfish, centropyge loricula, flame angel fish, yes, フレームエンゼルフィッシュ, ヘラルドコガネヤッコ, angel flame, 火焰神仙

This dwarf angelfish is bright red-orange, with black vertical bars on its sides and blue-tipped back edges to the dorsal and anal fins. Its strong colour and small adult size have made it one of the most popular angelfish for home reef and fish-only tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly, or one male with females in a large tank

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Central and western Pacific: Hawaii, Marshall Islands, Line Islands, Marquesas, Society Islands, Palau

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite that lives in harems and spawns in open water at dusk, releasing floating eggs. Captive-bred fish are now produced commercially, but rearing the tiny larvae is very hard for home aquarists.

Good to know

It may nip at soft corals and clam mantles, so it is only partly reef safe, and it can be aggressive towards other dwarf angels. Specimens from Hawaii and the Marshall Islands often cost more, and ones from certain areas have higher collection stress.