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Multibar Angelfish

Multibar Angelfish

Paracentropyge Multifasciatus

Quick Facts

Scientific nameParacentropyge Multifasciatus

Other namesBarred Angelfish, Multibarred Angelfish, Banded Pygmy Angelfish, Many Banded Angelfish

SizeUp to 12 cm (4.7 in)

WeightUnder a kilo (2.2lb)

FamilyAngelfish / Pomacanthidae

Distribution

Habitat & AU DistributionCaves and crevices in inner/outer reef slopes

The Multibar Angelfish is a small, striking fish that grows to about 12 cm long. Its bold pattern of alternating black and white bars makes it one of the more eye-catching fish on the reef.
Its belly, snout, and lower fins are bright yellow, which contrasts sharply with the banded pattern above. This colour combination makes it fairly easy to recognise once you know what to look for.
Juveniles look slightly different from adults. Young fish have fewer bars and carry a dark, eye-like spot on the dorsal fin that fades as they grow.
In Australia, this species is known from the Great Barrier Reef. Its range spreads broadly across the tropical Indo-Pacific, from the Cocos-Keeling Atoll in the east Indian Ocean to the Society Islands in the central Pacific.
Adults tend to live deeper than juveniles. Young fish stay in the shallows of inner reefs and lagoons, while adults are usually found between about 20 and 70 m down. They hide in caves and crevices on reef slopes.
Inside those caves, Multibar Angelfish often align themselves along the walls. Divers regularly spot them swimming upside down, following the shape of the rock around them.
They are usually seen in pairs or small groups, with one male living alongside several females. Like many other angelfish, they can start life as a female and later become male.
Multibar Angelfish eat algae and sponges, and also pick at small animals without backbones and tiny drifting creatures. They graze as they move across the reef, nibbling at whatever the surface offers.
They spawn just before sunset, releasing eggs and sperm up into the water column together. The fertilised eggs drift with the current before eventually settling.
Most Multibar Angelfish are thought to live between five and seven years, which is about average for small angelfish of this size.
They are rarely abundant in any one area, usually appearing only in small numbers even on reefs where they are known to live.
The Multibar Angelfish is considered difficult to keep in an aquarium. In the wild it spends its days in dim, sheltered spaces, and it takes time to adjust to brighter, more open conditions.

Species Interaction

Multibar Angelfish: A Rare Reef Gem for the Aquarium Trade

Aquarium
Snorkelling & Diving
Research & Rare Encounters

The Multibar Angelfish is best known to hobbyists rather than divers, appearing in the marine aquarium trade though it is considered a difficult species to keep, living naturally in deeper reef caves below 20 metres. Divers and reef surveyors encounter it only infrequently across its tropical Indo-Pacific range, including occasional sightings along Australia’s outer Great Barrier Reef.

Species
Sustainability

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Pomacanthidae
Genus: Paracentropyge
Species: Paracentropyge multifasciatus

Conservation Status

The Multibar Angelfish is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. It has a broad distribution across the tropical Indo-Pacific, including the Great Barrier Reef, and faces no major threats that would place its populations at risk. No threatened species listing applies under Australian law.