Bicolor angelfish

Centropyge tibicen

Bicolor angelfish

Centropyge tibicen

Other Common Names
Keyhole Angelfish

Connected Coasts

Other Common Names

Keyhole Angelfish

At the Aquarium

Connected Coasts

Appearance

The bicolor angelfish is black with a white spot on its side that is usually a vertical oval, but can be large enough to span its entire body. The standard length of bicolor angelfish is 5.9 inches. Most of the pelvic and part of the anal fin is yellow.

Habitat

Coral and rubble areas in lagoons and on seaward reefs. Bicolor angelfish live at depths of 4 to 35 m.

Diet

Algae

Life History

Like many species of angelfish, all bicolor angelfish begin their lives as female. The dominant individual in the group changes to a male. They live in social groups called harems where the male defends a territory containing 2 to 5 females.

Spawning typically happens around sunset with a series of courtship displays. Hatching occurs within 24 hours and then the young bicolor angelfish enters a larval stage lasting about 3 to 4 weeks. During this stage the larvae spend their time floating freely in the plankton. Eventually, bicolor angelfish settle onto the reef.

IUCN Status

Least Concern

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Bicolor angelfish may face threats of local extinction since they are relatively uncommon in isolated islands, like the Christmas and Cocos Islands. However, more research is needed to fully understand these risks and their consequences. Fortunately, this species is unlikely to be at risk of global extinction due to them being widespread with stable populations.

Since their primary diet consists of algae, bicolor angelfish play an important role in prohibiting algal overgrowth which can smother coral reefs.

Widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region from the northwestern Australian coast and Christmas Island in the east, throughout the Indo-Australian Archipelago to Vanuatu and Tonga in the west, and from southern Japan and the island of Taiwan in the north to Lord Howe Island in the south.

This animal is not native to the Oregon Coast, however is found in the larger Pacific Ocean. It lives in the Aquarium as part of our Connected Coasts gallery.

Out of the species in the genus Centropyge, the bicolor angelfish is the largest.

Citations & Other Resources

Pyle, R. and R. Myers. 2010. Centropyge tibicen. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010.

Myers, R. F. 1991. Micronesian reef fishes : a practical guide to the identification of the coral reef fishes of the tropical central and western Pacific (2nd ed.). Coral Graphics.

Hobbs, J.-P. A., G.P. Jones, and P.L. Munday. 2010. Rarity and extinction risk in coral reef angelfishes on isolated islands: interrelationships among abundance, geographic range size and specialisation. Coral Reefs, 29(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-009-0580-y

Bicolor angelfish

Bicolor angelfish

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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