Lemonpeel Angelfish

The Lemonpeel Angelfish (Centropyge flavissima) is a small, brilliant lemon-yellow dwarf angelfish from the Pacific. It is set off by a blue ring around the eye and fine blue edging on the fins and gill cover. As a member of the dwarf angelfish genus Centropyge, it is a compact reef grazer that feeds mainly on algae. It is a familiar aquarium species and a bright, conspicuous fish on shallow Pacific reefs. Juveniles resemble adults but often show a dark eyespot on the side.

Identify the Lemonpeel Angelfish by:

• Uniform bright yellow body.
• A distinct blue ring around the eye.
• Fine blue edging on the dorsal, anal, and gill-cover margins.
• Small, deep dwarf-angelfish body, ~12-14 cm.

The all-yellow body with blue eye-ring separates it from the similar all-yellow herald's angelfish, which lacks the blue markings.

Lemonpeel Angelfish inhabit coral reefs, lagoons, and reef flats from the shallows to about 25 m in the tropical Pacific, including many island groups from the western to central Pacific. They favour areas with live coral, rubble, and algal turf, and tend to stay close to shelter.

Lemonpeel Angelfish are diurnal grazers that feed mainly on algae and detritus, nipping at reef surfaces, along with some small invertebrates. They are often seen singly or in small haremic groups near coral and rubble that provide quick shelter. Like other dwarf angelfish they are protogynous hermaphrodites, with a dominant male overseeing several females, and spawn in pairs at dusk in the water column.