African Flameback Angelfish

Centropyge acanthops

Also known as African Pygmy Angelfish, Orangeback Angelfish, Jumping Bean Angelfish

SaltwaterFish

African Flameback Angelfish (Centropyge acanthops) — Philippe Bourjon · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 3.1 in (8 cm)
Minimum tank: 29 gal (110 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Common
Reef safe: Reef safe with caution
Origin: Western Indian Ocean, along the East African coast from Somalia and Kenya south to South Africa, including Madagascar and Mauritius
Family: Pomacanthidae

Overview

A small, active, hardy dwarf angel that is easy to feed and suited to smaller reef and fish-only systems. It is semi-aggressive and defends a territory, and once settled it can bully more docile fish or kill other dwarf angels in a small tank, so keep only one. It grazes algae and takes prepared foods well.

In the wild

African flamebacks live on rubble slopes and coral reefs of the western Indian Ocean, often on deeper rubble zones with scattered live rock. Like other dwarf angels they are shy grazers that keep close to cover and dart between crevices. In the aquarium they want mature live rock with algae to graze and plenty of hiding spots to feel secure.

Good to know

Centropyge acanthops is a small dwarf angel reaching about 8 cm, deep blue on the body with a bright orange-red back and dorsal fin and a yellow tail. It is closely related to the flame-colored dwarf angels and, like other Centropyge, is a protogynous hermaphrodite that lives in small harems with a single dominant male.

Did you know

Its restless darting between rocks earns it the nickname jumping bean angelfish, and it is one of the smaller and more affordable dwarf angels from the African coast.