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Twospine Angelfish

Twospine Angelfish

Centropyge Bispinosa

Quick Facts

Scientific nameCentropyge Bispinosa

Other namesCoral Beauty Angelfish, Two-Spined Angelfish, Dusky Angelfish

SizeUp to 10 cm (4 in)

WeightUnder a kilo (2.2lb)

FamilyAngelfish / Pomacanthidae

Distribution

Habitat & AU DistributionLagoon and seaward reef slopes

The Twospine Angelfish is a small, vividly coloured reef fish that grows to about 10 cm long. Its dark blue-purple body is broken up by bright orange vertical bars along the sides, making it one of the more striking little fish on the reef.
In Australia, the Twospine Angelfish turns up along a wide stretch of coastline, from Rowley Shoals and Scott Reef in Western Australia, across the tropical north, and down the east coast as far south as Bass Point in New South Wales. It is also found at Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island and several offshore reefs in the Coral Sea and Tasman Sea.
Beyond Australia, the Twospine Angelfish ranges across a huge sweep of the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa east to French Polynesia. It also reaches as far north as the Izu Islands of Japan.
This is a fish that hugs the reef rather than venturing into open water. It lives on lagoon floors and along outer reef slopes, usually between about 5 and 50 m deep, and prefers areas with rich coral growth.
The Twospine Angelfish is a secretive species, slipping in and out of reef crevices and staying close to shelter. It tends to be cautious and is not often seen out in the open for long.
It lives in small haremic groups, typically made up of one adult male and a handful of females and juveniles. The male defends his group and the patch of reef they call home.
Like other pygmy angelfishes, the Twospine Angelfish is a protogynous hermaphrodite, meaning it starts life as a female and may later become male. If the male of a group disappears, the dominant female can change sex and take his place.
Its diet is made up mostly of algae, which it grazes from the surfaces of coral and rock. It picks away steadily through the day, making the most of the reef’s constant supply of growth.
One of the easiest ways to recognise this species is by the vivid blue margin along the edges of its dorsal, tail and anal fins. Combined with its orange-barred body, the colour pattern is hard to miss once you know what to look for.
Twospine Angelfish spawn into the open water, sending their eggs drifting away with the currents rather than guarding them on the reef.
Despite its wide range, relatively little species-specific research has been carried out on wild Australian populations of this fish.

Species Interaction

Twospine Angelfish: A Reef Jewel in Tanks and on Transects

Aquarium
Snorkelling & Diving
Research & Rare Encounters
Ecosystem Role

The Twospine Angelfish is best known to most people as an aquarium species. Under the common name “Coral Beauty”, it is one of the more popular dwarf angelfishes in the marine aquarium trade, valued for its striking purple and orange colouring and its manageable size. Divers and reef surveyors encounter it along Australian reefs from Western Australia to New South Wales, where it shelters in coral-rich crevices on lagoon slopes and outer reef drop-offs.

Species
Sustainability

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Teleostei
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Pomacanthidae
Genus: Centropyge
Species: Centropyge bispinosa

Conservation Status

The Twospine Angelfish is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a wide distribution across the tropical Indo-Pacific and high population resilience. It is not listed under Australia’s EPBC Act. The primary human use is the commercial aquarium trade rather than food fishing, and its low fishing vulnerability supports a stable outlook.