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Pearlscale Angelfish

Pearlscale Angelfish

Centropyge Vroliki

Quick Facts

Scientific nameCentropyge Vroliki

Other namesPearly Scaled Angelfish, Pearlscaled Angelfish, Half Black Angelfish

SizeUp to 12 cm (4.7 in)

WeightUnder a kilo (2.2lb)

FamilyAngelfish / Pomacanthidae

Distribution

Habitat & AU DistributionRocky bottoms of offshore reef slopes and lagoons

The Pearlscale Angelfish is a small, eye-catching reef fish that grows to about 12 cm long. Its compact, flattened body and bold two-tone colouring make it one of the more recognisable little angelfish on Indo-Pacific reefs.
In Australia, it is found from north-western Western Australia and the northern Great Barrier Reef, south through Queensland to the central New South Wales coast and out to Lord Howe Island.
Its wider range stretches across the Indo-West Pacific, from Christmas Island through South-East Asia and Micronesia, north to Japan, and east to the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu. It has also been recorded as far as Tonga.
The front half of the body is pale greyish to brownish, with whitish scale centres that give the fish a pearly, scalloped look. The rear half turns dark black, creating a striking contrast between the two ends of the fish.
Look at the edges of the tail fin and the rear of the dorsal and anal fins and you will see a vivid blue margin. The gill opening and the base of the pectoral fins are orange, adding another flash of colour.
Pearlscale Angelfish live on lagoon floors and the slopes of seaward reefs, usually in areas with plenty of coral, algae and sponges. They are most often found in depths from about 1 to 30 m.
They feed on algae and sponges, grazing across the reef surface throughout the day.
This species pairs up and tends to stay paired, with each pair moving through a home area rather than defending a fixed territory. The bond between a pair appears to be maintained over time.
Pearlscale Angelfish are egg layers. Like other angelfishes, spawning likely takes place in the water column above the reef, releasing eggs that drift before settling and hatching.
This species is capable of changing sex. Like a number of reef fish, it starts life as a female and can later become male, a trait seen across several angelfish groups.
Juveniles of a surgeonfish species mimic the Pearlscale Angelfish in appearance. The young surgeonfish adopts similar colouring, likely gaining some protection by resembling a more established reef resident.
Where its range overlaps with related species, the Pearlscale Angelfish can produce hybrids. Mixed offspring have been recorded with at least two close relatives in areas where the species share the same reef.
Pearlscale Angelfish are thought to live for around 10–15 years, with some individuals potentially reaching older ages in favourable conditions.

Species Interaction

Pearlscale Angelfish: A Reef Gem in Home Aquariums

Aquarium
Snorkelling & Diving
Research & Rare Encounters
Ecosystem Role

The Pearlscale Angelfish is best known as an aquarium species, traded commercially across the world and a familiar sight in reef and marine tanks. Its compact size, hardy nature and striking two-tone colouring make it one of the more popular dwarf angelfish in the hobby. Divers and snorkellers encounter it regularly on Indo-Pacific reefs, including along Australia’s northern and eastern coasts, where it is a common resident of shallow reef slopes and lagoons.

Species
Sustainability

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Pomacanthidae
Genus: Centropyge
Species: Centropyge vrolikii

Conservation Status

The Pearlscale Angelfish is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a wide tropical Indo-Pacific distribution and common occurrence across reef habitats. It holds no threatened or protected status under Australia’s EPBC Act. The aquarium trade is the primary commercial interest in this species.