Coral Beauty Angelfish

About

The Coral Beauty (Centropyge bispinosa) is one of the most widely kept dwarf angelfish in the saltwater hobby, and for good reason. It's relatively forgiving for a marine fish while still offering the personality and looks that make angelfish so appealing. In the wild, it ranges across a huge swath of the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa all the way to the Tuamotu Islands, where it lives on lagoon floors and seaward reef slopes, tucking into coral-rich areas and hiding among rock crevices. It typically lives alone or in small harems of a few individuals. The coloration varies quite a bit across its range, but most specimens show deep blue-purple along the head and fins with a reddish-orange body crossed by vertical blue lines. In the aquarium, the Coral Beauty is an active fish once it settles in, and it will patrol the full length of the tank rather than hiding indefinitely. That said, it does appreciate plenty of rockwork with caves and gaps to retreat into when feeling threatened. The main behavioral caveat is territoriality. It will harass other dwarf angels, and keeping two together requires either a bonded pair or a very large system. It can also nip at corals and clam mantles, so reef keepers should keep a close eye on it.