Centropyge bicolor
Bicolor Angelfish
©Mark Shepherd: Bicolour Angelfish at Lizard Island
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Actinopterygii
Order
Perciformes
Family
Pomacanthidae
Genus
Centropyge
Species
Centropyge bicolor
Colours
Distinguishing features
A small to medium sized fish with bright yellow front half and tail, and an deep blue rear half plus a blue "cap" over the head.
Size
- Up to 15 cm (Standard length)
Depth range
- Depth range data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
Patches of rubble adjacent to areas of coral on reef slopes and channels.
Found mainly on exposed and semi-exposed reef slopes below 5m.
Behaviour
The Bicolor Angelfish is a benthic omnivore, taking algae, crustaceans, worms and other invertebrates from the reef and rubble areas that it inhabits. This species is a haremic protogynous hermaphrodite. Males maintain a harem of 1-4 females and several immature females throughout the year, and defend the harem territory from other neighbouring males. Mating occurs during the warmer months of November to March.
Web resources
References
- Aldenhoven, J.M. (1984). Social organisation and sex change in an angelfish Centropyge bicolor on the Great Barrier Reef, Phd thesis, Macquarie University, Sydney. LIRS catalog number 162.
- Aldenhoven, J.M. (1986). Different reproductive strategies in a sex-changing coral reef fish Centropyge bicolor (Pomacanthidae), Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 37: 353-60. LIRS catalog number 197.
- Aldenhoven, J.M. (1986). Local variation in mortality rates and life-expectancy estimates of the coral-reef fish Centropyge bicolor (Pisces: Pomacanthidae), Marine Biology, 92: 237-244. LIRS catalog number 203.
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