Twospined angelfish

Twospined angelfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Pomacanthidae
Genus:	Centropyge
Species:	C. bispinosa
Binomial name
Centropyge bispinosa (Günther, 1860)

The Twospined Angelfish, Dusky Angelfish, or Coral Beauty (Centropyge bispinosa), is a herbivorous marine angelfish.

Some individuals have a dark purplish blue body with yellow to red stripes, and usually an electric blue rim; in others are orange stripes dominate, with the purple distributed in spots. Some bright orange forms are very similar in appearance to the golden angelfish, Centropyge aurantia.

The twospined angelfish is native to the Indo-Pacific where it lives in coral reefs and lagoons. It reaches a maximum length of 3 inches (8 cm). It eats algae.

When kept in an aquarium they are found just over the rocks as their high metabolisms necessitate that they eat lots of algae. They prefer reef tanks over fish only tanks, however they may have a tendency to nip on corals, especially soft corals and clam mantles. This species is NOT suitable for beginners because they are generally very delicate and require constant feedings. Due to their high metabolisms, feeding usually needs to be done at least every other day, which means high waste. A protein skimmer is mandatory with this species or any type of angelfish, dwarf or large. Once established, they are generally a long-lived species. They require at least 40 gallons and 25 pounds of live rock to sustain themselves.

References

• "Centropyge bispinosa". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=646765. Retrieved 6 June 2006. 
• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Centropyge bispinosa" in FishBase. May 2006 version.

External links

• Centropyge.net info page