ANIMAL: Orangeback Angelfish Centropyge acanthops Type of Animal: Marine Angelfish Habitat: Warm coastal waters Location(s): W Indian Ocean Appearance: Bluish/purplish-bodied fish w/ yellow to orange coloration from head & across back, very small angelfish, big eyes Food/Diet: Algae, detritus, vegetable matter, mysid shrimp, brine shrimp, small sponges, small tunicates, coral mucus, tridacnid clam mucus Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in aquariums, aquaculture, & zoos. Captive breeding reducing demand for wild-caught fish. Lifestyle: Solitary or harems of a male w/ 1-4 females. Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young: Fry Group: School Gestation: 1 day Life Span: 5-8 years Body Length: Male: 2-3 in Female: 1.5-2 in Very shy/secretive in wild. Males extremely territorial & will fight to the death w/ rival males. Females often show territoriality as well but not as intensely as males. Usually spawn in mid-water w/ sperm/eggs being released simultaneously. Extended daylength often elicits courtship/spawning. Oil droplet in each egg makes it buoyant. Larvae/fry utilize yolk sac for 1st 2 days of life. Single female can release thousands of eggs every time she mates. Maturity reached at around a year old. One of the smallest dwarf angelfish. They’re rather active fish. Male stimulates female to release eggs w/ biting motions along female’s abdomen. Fun Fact(s): Like all marine angelfish, females can change sex to males. In this genus (Centropyge)-all born female w/ largest/most dominant females becoming males. Males that lose rank can revert to being female if more dominant male comes along. Sex changes last from a few days to a few weeks. Also called African Pygmy Angelfish, Orangeback Pygmy Angelfish, African Dwarf Angelfish, Flameback Angelfish, African Flameback Angelfish, Fireball Angelfish, Fireback Angelfish, Fireball Pygmy Angelfish, Jumping Bean Angelfish, Jumping Bean, Flameback Pygmy Angelfish, & African Cherubfish. Like many marine angelfish, they’re difficult to breed. Not as common in aquariums as other dwarf angelfish.
