Bicolor Angelfish

About

The two-colored angelfish (Centropyge bicolor) is one of the most recognizable dwarf angels in the hobby, wearing a clean split of deep blue-purple on the rear half of the body and bright yellow on the front half and tail. A color pattern so distinct it rarely needs explanation. In the wild, this species ranges across a huge swath of the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa out to Samoa and the Phoenix Islands, where it inhabits lagoon patches, channel edges, and protected reef slopes with plenty of coral rubble to duck into. That nervous, dart-and-hide behavior carries directly into aquarium life. Give this fish good rockwork with plenty of caves and crevices, and it will settle in and become a regular presence on the rockface. It grazes on algae and picks at small invertebrates much as it does in nature, so a well-established tank with natural algae growth suits it well. Listed as beginner-friendly for a marine fish, it is still worth noting that it can be pushy with other angelfish and may occasionally nip at coral polyps. Something to factor in if you keep a mixed reef. A specimen that is eating well and has space to call its own usually proves to be a long-lived, rewarding fish.