Golden Angelfish

Centropyge aurantia

Also known as Aurantia Angelfish

SaltwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 3.9 in (10 cm)
Minimum tank: 55 gal (210 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Reef safe: Reef safe with caution
Origin: Western Pacific
Family: Pomacanthidae

Overview

One of the shyest dwarf angels, it needs a mature, stable 210 litre or larger tank with dense rockwork, natural algae to graze, and calm tankmates. Keep only one dwarf angel in the tank, since it is territorial with its own kind, and feed several small meals a day; it may nip fleshy LPS and soft corals, so keep it well fed in a reef.

In the wild

Ranges across the western Pacific from Indonesia and the Great Barrier Reef to the Caroline Islands and Samoa. It stays buried in branching coral and rubble on sheltered reefs, and even where it is common divers rarely see one in the open.

Good to know

Centropyge aurantia is a dwarf angelfish of about 10 cm, deep golden orange with fine dark vertical striping and a blue ring around the eye. It was described from Samoa in 1974 and is one of the most secretive members of its genus.

Did you know

Wild-caught golden angels are notorious for hiding and refusing food until they waste away, which is why hatchery-raised fish that arrive already eating pellets have changed how keepers judge this species.