DaLilFishie's Guide to the Marine Angelfishes (Pomacanthidae)

[DaLilFishie]

This family of colourful, deep-bodied reef fishes is found worldwide in shallow tropical reef habitats, although a few species inhabit mesophotic depths. They may easily be confused with their close relatives, the butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae), but can be distinguished by the presence of large, rear-facing spines on the gill covers (typically one spine per gill cover, but some such as Centropyge bispinosa have two). They are not to be confused with the freshwater angelfishes of the genus Pterophyllum, which are unrelated.
For purposes of this thread, I will be using the classification scheme used by iNaturalist, which lists 90 species in 7 genera – the taxonomy of this family is far from resolved, and the number of genera and species varies by source. Many species and genera, especially Centropyge, appear to be non-monophyletic. Where applicable, I may include taxonomic notes.


Genus Apolemichthys – 8 species

Bandit Angelfish A. arcuatus
Griffis’ Angelfish A griffisi
Reunion Island Angelfish A. guezei
Tiger Angelfish A. kingi
Threespot Angelfish A. trimaculatus
Goldflake Angelfish A. xanthopunctatus
Yellow-ear Angelfish A. xanthotis
Yellowtail Angelfish A. xanthurus

Genus Centropyge – 36 species

Abe’s Angelfish C. abei
Orangeback Angelfish C. acanthops
Cherubfish C. argi
Golden Angelfish C. aurantia
Flameback (Brazilian Flameback) Angelfish C. aurantonotus
Bicolour Angelfish C. bicolor
Coral Beauty (Two-spined Angelfish) C. bispinosa
Peppermint Angelfish C. boylei
Cocopeel (Cocos Pygmy) Angelfish C. cocosensis
Cocos-Keeling (Colin’s) Angelfish C. colini
Blue Mauritius Angelfish C. debelius
Blue Velvet Angelfish C. deborae
Eibl’s (Blacktail) Angelfish C. eibli
Rusty Angelfish C. ferrugata
Fisher’s (Whitetail) Angelfish C. fisheri
Yellowfin (Moonbeam) Angelfish C. flavipectoralis
Lemonpeel Angelfish C. flavissima
Herald’s Angelfish C. heraldi
Blackear (Easter Island) Angelfish C. hotumatua
Japanese (Japanese Pygmy) Angelfish C. interrupta
Yellowhead (Joculator) Angelfish C. joculator
Flame Angelfish C. loriculus
Pearlback (Multicolour) Angelfish C. multicolor
Barred Angelfish C. multifasciata
Brown Pygmy Angelfish C. multispinis
Nahacky’s Angelfish C. nahackyi
Narcosis (Narc) Angelfish C. narcosis
Blackspot Angelfish C. nigriocellus
Midnight Angelfish C. nox
Potter’s Angelfish C. potteri
Resplendent Angelfish C. resplendens
Shepard’s (Mango) Angelfish C. shepardi
Keyhole Angelfish C. tibicen
Purplemask Angelfish C. venusta
Pearlscale (Half Black) Angelfish C. vrolikii
Woodhead’s Angelfish C. woodheadi

Genus Chaetodontoplus - 15 species
Ballina Angelfish C. ballinae
Bluespotted Angelfish C. caeruleopunctatus
Maze Angelfish C. cephalareticulatus
Orangeface Angelfish C. chrysocephalus
Conspicuous Angelfish C. conspicillatus
Pewter (Velvet) Angelfish C. dimidiatus
Scribbled Angelfish C. duboulayi
Black Velvet Angelfish C. melanosome
Queensland Yellowtail (Meredith’s) Angelfish C. meredithi
Vermiculate Angelfish C. mesoleucus
Black Angelfish C. niger
Yellowtail (Personifer) Angelfish C. personifer
Greytail Angelfish C. poliourus
Bluestriped Angelfish C. septentrionalis
Vanderloos Angelfish C. vanderloosi

Genus Genicanthus – 10 species

Ornate Angelfish G. bellus
Zebra Angelfish G. caudovittatus
Lamarck’s Angelfish G. lamarck
Swallowtail Angelfish G. melanospilos
Masked Angelfish G. personatus
Halfbanded Angelfish G. semicinctus
Masked Swallowtail Angelfish G. semifaciatus
Pitcairn Angelfish G. spinus
Takeuchi’s Angelfish G. takeuchii
Watanabe’s Angelfish G. watanabei

Genus Holacanthus – 7 species

Guinean Angelfish H. africanus
Blue (Bermuda Blue) Angelfish H. bermudensis
Queen Angelfish H. ciliaris
Clarion Angelfish H. clarionensis
Clipperton Angelfish H. limbaughi
King Angelfish H. passer
Rock Beauty H. tricolor

Genus Pomacanthus – 13 species

Bluering Angelfish P. annularis
Grey Angelfish P. arcuatus
Arabian Angelfish P. asfur
Goldtail Angelfish P. chrysurus
Emperor Angelfish P. imperator
Halfmoon Angelfish P. maculosus
Bluegirdle (Magnificent) Angelfish P. narvarchus
French Angelfish P. paru
Old Woman Angelfish P. rhomboides
Blue (Koran) Angelfish P. semicirculatus
Sixband Angelfish P. sexstriatus
Blueface Angelfish P. xanthometopon
Cortez Angelfish C. zonipectus

Genus Pygoplites – 1 species

Regal Angelfish P. diacanthus

 

[DaLilFishie]

Genus Apolemichthys – 8 species, 6 in ZooChat galleries

Bandit Angelfish Apolemichthys arcuatus
Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Phylogenetic evidence suggests this species is not closely related to the other species of Apolemichthys.


Image by @Northwest_FIsh_Keeping at Waikiki Aquarium


Griffis’ Angelfish Apolemichthys griffisi
Widespread in the west and central Pacific.

Image by @Northwest_FIsh_Keeping at California Academy of Sciences


Reunion Island Angelfish Apolemichthys guezei
Endemic to Reunion Island.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Tiger Angelfish Apolemichthys kingi
Endemic the western Indian Ocean.
Image by @Sicarius in a private collection.


Threespot Angelfish Apolemichthys trimaculatus
Widespread in the Indian Ocean and west and central Pacific.


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore - Breda


Goldflake Angelfish Apolemichthys xanthopunctatus
Occurs in the central Pacific.


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Yellow-ear Angelfish Apolemichthys xanthotis
Endemic to the northwest Indian Ocean.

No images on the ZooChat galleries.


Yellowtail Angelfish Apolemichthys xanthurus
Endemic to the Indian Ocean.


Image by @Prochilodus246 at Rhyl SeaQuarium

 

[DaLilFishie]

Genus Centropyge – 36 species, 25 in the ZooChat galleries.

Abe’s Angelfish Centropyge abei
Occurs in the western Pacific. A deepwater species.

Photo by @Northwest_Fish_Keeper at Waikiki Aquarium


Orangeback Angelfish Centropyge acanthops
Occurs in the western Indian Ocean and Cocos (Keeling) Islands.


Image by @vogelcommando at Aquarium Kiel


Cherubfish Centropyge argi
Occurs in the western Atlantic.


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Golden Angelfish Centropyge aurantia
Occurs in the western Pacific.


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda

Flameback Angelfish Centropyge aurantonotus
Occurs in the western Atlantic.


Image by @DaLilFishie at Sunshine Aquarium


Bicolour Angelfish Centropyge bicolor
Widespread Indo-Pacific distribution.


Image by @Chlidonias at Oceanworld Manly


Coral Beauty Centropyge bispinosa
Widespread Indo-Pacific distribution. This species is highly variable in the extent of it’s blue colouration and shade of orange markings, from almost fully blue individuals to almost entirely orange/cream, but typically somewhere in the middle. This variability may cause identification confusion, but the two (rather than one) spines per gill cover (the lower one much smaller than the other) will separate this species from all others.


Image by @vogelcommando at Meereszentrum Fehmarn


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Peppermint Angelfish Centropyge boylei (syn. Paracentropyge boylei)
Known only from Rarotonga, but it is likely this species occurs elsewhere in the central Pacific but has gone undetected as it inhabits mesophotic depths.


Image by @Sicarius in a private collection


Cocopeel Angelfish Centropyge cocosensis
Endemic to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island. It was formerly considered a colour variant of C. flavissima, and it’s status as a species distinct from it is somewhat dubious.

No images on the ZooChat galleries.


Cocos-Keeling Angelfish Centropyge colini
Despite the name, not endemic to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Widespread Indo-West Pacific distribution but known from relatively few sites, due to deepwater habits.

No images on the Zoochat galleries.


Blue Mauritius Angelfish Centropyge debelius
Known only from Mauritius. A deepwater species.


Image by @Sicarius


Blue Velvet Angelfish Centropyge deborae
Endemic to Fiji. Until 2012, it was considered a colour form of C. nox.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.

 

[DaLilFishie]

Eibl’s Angelfish Centropyge eibli
Occurs in the eastern Indian Ocean. Status as a species debated – it, C. flavissima, C. vrolikii and C. cocosensis have been suggested to be colour variants of a single species.


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Rusty Angelfish Centropyge ferrugata
Occurs in the northwest Pacific.


Photo by @devilfish at Berlin Zoo Aquarium


Fisher’s Angelfish Centropyge fisheri
Endemic to Hawaii. Debatably conspecific with C. flavicauda.


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Yellowfin Angelfish Centropyge flavipectoralis
Occurs in the Indian Ocean.


Image by @devilfish at Palma Aquarium


Lemonpeel Angelfish Centropyge flavissima
Occurs in the central and west Pacific Ocean. Records from the Indian Ocean refer to what is now called C. cocosensis. Whether C. eibli, C. vrolikii, and C. cocosensis are truly distinct species from C. flavissima or colour forms of a single species is debated.


Image by @Hix in Tokelau


Herald’s Angelfish Centropyge heraldi
Occurs in the west and central Pacific. The black-finned form formerly assigned to this species is now split as C. woodheadi.


Image by @Therabu at Palaise de la Porte Doree Aquarium


Blackear Angelfish Centropyge hotumatua
Endemic to Easter Island.

No images on the ZooChat galleries.


Japanese Angelfish Centropyge interrupta
Occurs in the northwest Pacific, restricted to islands off Japan and some of the Hawaiian Archipelago.


Image by @DaLilFishie at Tokyo Sea Life Park


Yellowhead Angelfish Centropyge joculator
Endemic to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Islands.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Flame Angelfish Centropyge loriculus
Widespread in Oceania. Three colour forms – the widespread Oceanian form, a red form in Hawaii, and a Marquesian form with reduced black markings. No genetic structure between these forms has been found.


Widespread form – image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Hawaiian form – image by @Hix at Waikiki Aquarium

No images in the ZooChat galleries of the Marquesian form.


Pearlback Angelfish Centropyge multicolor
Occurs in the Central Pacific.


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore - Breda

 

[DaLilFishie]

Barred Angelfish Centropyge multifasciata (syn. Paracentropyge multifasciata)
Widespread in the central Indo-Pacific. Inhabits deepwater areas but also occurs in the shallows.


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Brown Pygmy Angelfish Centropyge multispinis
Occurs in the Indian Ocean.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Nahacky’s Angelfish Centropyge nahackyi
Endemic to Hawaii and Johnston Island – perhaps restricted to Johnston Island, the sole specimen recorded in Hawaii could represent a vagrant rather than a population occurring there.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Narcosis Angelfish Centropyge narcosis
Endemic to the Cook Islands. A deepwater species found at depths of below 100 metres, hence the species name.


Blackspot Angelfish Centropyge nigriocellus
Patchily distributed in the Pacific Ocean.

No images in the ZooChat Galleries.


Midnight Angelfish Centropyge nox
Occurs in the western Pacific. It’s not a poor photo, the fish really is that dark black!


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Potter’s Angelfish Centropyge potteri
Endemic to Hawaii and Johnston Island.


Image by @Sicarius at Aquazoo Dusseldorf


Resplendent Angelfish Centropyge resplendens
Endemic to Ascension Island.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Shepard’s Angelfish Centropyge shepardi
Known from the Ogasawara and Mariana Islands.
Image by @Sicarius at Tokyo Sea Life Park


Keyhole Angelfish Centropyge tibicen
Occurs in the western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean.


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore - Breda


Purplemask Angelfish Centropyge venusta (syn. Paracentropyge venusta)
Occurs in the northwest Pacific. Much variation in the shape of the forehead patterns.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Pearlscale Angelfish Centropyge vrolikii
Occurs in the western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean. It, C. flavissimus, C. cocosensis and C. eibli have been suggested to be colour forms of a single species.


Image by @Hix at Christmas Island


Woodhead’s Angelfish Centropyge woodheadi
Occurs in the southwestern Pacific. Previously considered a colour form of C. heraldi. It is distinguished from C. heraldi by the black patch on the dorsal fin.


Image by @Hix in Niue. Uploaded under the former name C. heraldi

 

[DaLilFishie]

Genus Chaetodontoplus – 15 species, 7 in the ZooChat galleries


Ballina Angelfish Chaetodontoplus ballinae
Endemic to eastern Australia and nearby islands. None in captivity as it is fully protected by Australian law and collection of this species is illegal.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Bluespotted Angelfish Chaetodontoplus caeruleopunctatus
Endemic to the Philippines.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Maze Angelfish Chaetodontoplus cephalareticulata
Occurs in southern Japan and Taiwan.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Orangeface Angelfish Chaetodontoplus chrysocephalus
Occurs in the western Pacific.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Conspicuous Angelfish Chaetodontoplus conspicillatus
Occurs on the southern Great Barrier Reef to New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island.


Image by @Ding Lingwei at Dallas World Aquarium.


Pewter Angelfish Chaetodontoplis dimidiatus
Occurs in Indonesia.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Scribbled Angelfish Chaetodontoplus duboulayi
Occurs in the western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean.


Image by @DaLilFishie at Sunshine Aquarium


Black Velvet Angelfish Chaetodontoplus melanosoma
Occurs in the western Pacific.


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Queensland Yellowtail Angelfish Chaetodontoplus meredithi
Endemic to eastern Australia and Lord Howe Island.


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Vermiculated Angelfish Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus
Occurs in the Indo-West Pacific. C. poliourus was once considered a colour variant of this species. The two are distinguishable by the colour of the caudal fin – yellow in C. mesoleucus and grey in C. poliourus.


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Black Angelfish Chaetodontoplus niger
Described from the South China Sea, but all modern records of the species are from southern Japan. A deepwater species.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Yellowtail Angelfish Chaetodontoplus personifer
Endemic to northwestern Australia. Often confused with the similar but allopatric C. meredithi.


Image by @DaLilFishie at Osaka Aquarium


Greytail Angelfish Chaetodontoplus poliourus
Occurs in the Western Pacific.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Bluestriped Angelfish Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis
Occurs in the northwest Pacific.


Image by @Sicarius at Sunshine Aquarium


Vanderloos Angelfish Chaetodontoplus vanderloosi
Endemic to Papua New Guinea. One of the most range-restricted reef fishes.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.

 

[DaLilFishie]

Genus Genicanthus – 10 species, 7 in the ZooChat galleries

Ornate Angelfish Genicanthus bellus
Has a wide but patchy distribution in the western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean. However, this patchiness may be an artifact of few fish surveys being conducted at the greater depths this species inhabits. Sexually dichromatic.


Male. Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Female. Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Zebra Angelfish Genicanthus caudovittatus
Occurs in the western Indian Ocean and Red Sea. Sexually dichromatic.


Male. Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Female. Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Lamarck’s Angelfish Genicanthus lamarck
Occurs in the western Pacific. Sexually dichromatic.


Male. Image by @vogelcommando at Burger’s Zoo


Female. Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Swallowtail Angelfish Genicanthus melanospilos
Occurs in the western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean. Sexually dichromatic.


Male. Image by @Kakapo at Burger’s Zoo


Female. Image by @Northwest_FIsh_Keeping at Birch Aquarium

 

[DaLilFishie]

Masked Angelfish Genicanthus personatus
Endemic to Hawaii. Sexually dichromatic.


Male. Image by @Northwest_FIsh_Keeping at Waikiki Aquarium


Female. Image by @Northwest_FIsh_Keeping at Waikiki Aquarium


Halfbanded Angelfish Genicanthus semicinctus
Endemic to Lord Howe Island. Sexually dichromatic.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Masked Swallowtail Angelfish Genicanthus semifasciatus
Occurs in Japan, the Ryukyu, Izu and Ogasawara Islands, and the Philippines. Sexually dichromatic.


Female. Image by @Sicarius at Klein Costa Rica


Pitcairn Angelfish Genicanthus spinus
Despite the name, not endemic to the Pitcairn Islands. Occurs in the southern Pacific. Sexually dichromatic.

No images in the Zoochat galleries.


Takeuchi’s Angelfish Genicanthus takeuchii
Restricted to Marcus Island (Minamitorishima), the Ogasawara Islands and the Marianas Islands. Sexually dichromatic.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Watanabe’s Angelfish Genicanthus watanabei
Occurs widely in the west and central Pacific. Sexually dichromatic.


Male. Image by @Coelacanth18 at Aquarium of the Pacific


Female. Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore - Breda

 

[DaLilFishie]

Genus Holacanthus – 7 species, 6 in the ZooChat galleries

Guinean Angelfish Holacanthus africanus
Occurs in the eastern Atlantic. Also reported from Malta in 2017.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.


Blue Angelfish Holacanthus bermudensis
Occurs in the western Atlantic.


Adult. Image by @BerdNerd at North Carolina Aquarium


Juvenile. Image by @RatioTile at Biomes Marine Biology Centre


Queen Angelfish Holacanthus ciliaris
Occurs in the western Atlantic. Many colour morphs.


Adult. Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Juvenile. Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Subadult. Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Clarion Angelfish Holacanthus clarionensis
Occurs in the eastern Pacific.


Adult. Image by @ThylacineAlive at Aquarium of the Pacific


Juvenile. Image by @vogelcommando at SEA LIFE Scheveningen


Clipperton Angelfish Holacanthus limbaughi
Endemic to Clipperton Island. Perhaps the most range-restricted of all marine fishes, with it’s total range encompassing only 3.5km2.


Image by @wstefan at Aquarium of the Pacific.

 

[Northwest_FIsh_Keeping]

Awesome list, dude! Appreciate you for using some of my photos as well, that's really awesome to see.

Purplemask Angelfish Centropyge venusta

This one is crazy to me that there's no individual photos of it on here, seeing how somewhat common they show up in the Aquarium hobby (at least in the US). I didn't realize how few Aquariums kept them. I know Steinhart / California Academy of Sciences has 1 (or did, not sure about post-renovation of their Twilight Zone gallery but I'd imagine they still have it), so that'll be on my "must photograph list" for when I go down next month.

 

[DaLilFishie]

King Angelfish Holacanthus passer
Occurs in the eastern Pacific.


Adult. Image by @vogelcommando at Aquarium Kiel


Juvenile. Image by @vogelcommando at SEA LIFE Scheveningen


Subadult. Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore - Breda


Rock Beauty Holacanthus tricolor
Occurs in the western Atlantic.


Image by @vogelcommando

 

[DaLilFishie]

Genus Pomacanthus – 13 species, 13 in the ZooChat galleries.

Bluering Angelfish Pomacanthus annularis
Widespread across the Indo-West Pacific.


Image by @korhoen at Burgers’ Zoo


Grey Angelfish Pomacanthus arcuatus
Occurs in the west Atlantic.


Image by @vogelcommando at Xcaret Park


Arabian Angelfish Pomacanthus asfur
Occurs in the western Indian Ocean including the Red Sea. Has also been reported from Malta and Florida, probably representing aquarium releases.


Image by @gentle lemur from ZSL London Zoo


Goldtail Angelfish Pomacanthus chrysurus
Occurs in the western Indian Ocean.


Image by @vogelcommando from Coralandfishstore – Breda


Emperor Angelfish Pomacanthus imperator
Widespread in the Indo-Pacific. Vagrant to Hawaii, and has established in the Mediterranean as a Lessepsian migrant. Has been recorded in Puerto Rico and Florida as aquarium releases. Two distinct forms – one in the Pacific and one in the Indian Ocean, which have been suggested to be subspecifically distinct. Pacific form has a extended filament on the soft dorsal fin and a yellow caudal fin, Indian Ocean form has no filament and often an orangish caudal fin. However, Pacific specimens from some sites lack the dorsal filament.


Pacific form. Image by @WhistlingKite24 at SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast Aquarium


Indian Ocean form. Image by @KevinB from ZOO Antwerpen


Juvenile. Image by @vogelcommando


Juvenile starting to change to adult colours. Image by @Jordan-Jaguar97 at SEA LIFE Blackpool


Subadult. Image by @devilfish at Sea Life Adventure


Halfmoon Angelfish Pomacanthus maculosus
Occurs in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Has been recorded in the Mediterranean, likely as a Lessepsian migrant, and in Florida and Brazil as aquarium releases.


Image by @KevinB at ZOO Antwerpen

 

[DaLilFishie]

Bluegirdle Angelfish Pomacanthus navarchus
Occurs in the central Indo-Pacific.


Adult. Image by @Sicarius at ZOO Antwerpen


Juvenile. Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Subadult. Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


French Angelfish Pomacanthus paru
Occurs in the western and eastern Atlantic.


Adult. Image by @vogelcommando at Palaise de la Porte Doree Aquarium


Juvenile. Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore – Breda


Old Woman Angelfish Pomacanthus rhomboides
Occurs in the western Indian Ocean.


Image by @Sicarius at Tokyo Sea Life Park


Blue Angelfish Pomacentrus semicirculatus
Widespread in the Indo-Pacific.


Adult. Image by @Northwest_FIsh_Keeping at Port Defiance Zoo & Aquarium


Juvenile. Image by @DaLilFishie at Tokyo Sea Life Park


Sixband Angelfish Pomacanthus sextriatus
Widely distributed in the central Indo-Pacific.


Image by @DaLilFishie at Green Island, Australia

 

[DaLilFishie]

Blueface Angelfish Pomacanthus xanthometopon
Widespread in the central Indo-Pacific and central Pacific.


Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore- Breda


Cortez Angelfish Pomacanthus zonipectus
Occurs in the eastern Pacific.


Subadult. Image by @Jorbe at Tivoli Aquarium


Juvenile. Image by @ RatioTile at New England Aquarium

 

[Prochilodus246]

Purplemask Angelfish Centropyge venusta (syn. Paracentropyge venusta)
Occurs in the northwest Pacific. Much variation in the shape of the forehead patterns.

No images in the ZooChat galleries.

Purplemask Angelfish - ZooChat

 

[DaLilFishie]

Genus Pygoplites – 1 species, 1 in the ZooChat galleries.

Regal Angelfish Pygoplites diacanthus
Widespread in the Indo-Pacific. Two subspecies – nominate P. diacanthus diacanthus in the Pacific, which has a grey patch on the face, and P. diacanthus flavescens in the Indian Ocean which has a yellow face. The two co-occur and hybridise at Christmas Island.


P. diacanthus diacanthus. Image by @Hix in Tokelau


P. diacanthus flavescens. Image by @vogelcommando at ZOO Antwerpen


Juvenile. Image by @vogelcommando at Coralandfishstore - Breda

 

[DaLilFishie]

Purplemask Angelfish - ZooChat

Oops!

Purplemask Angelfish Centropyge venusta (syn. Paracentropyge venusta)
Occurs in the northwest Pacific. Much variation in the shape of the forehead patterns.


Juvenile. Image by @Prochilodus246

 

[Yoshistar888]

Of these I’ve seen thirty seven species captive and one of those I’ve also seen in the wild, that being Centropyge vrolikii. Centropyge colini annd Centropyge joculator are rare but not excessively rare and present in the Australian aquarium trade but I am yet to see either.

 

[Northwest_FIsh_Keeping]

Narcosis Angelfish Centropyge narcosis
Endemic to the Cook Islands. A deepwater species found at depths of below 100 metres, hence the species name.

At least for the Narcosis, last I heard there are only 6 individuals in captivity and I'm pretty sure they're all privately owned (at least 3 of them are). I do know of one person in Australia who owns 1 of them since his friend was actually the previous owner, then gifted it to him when leaving the aquarium hobby, what a crazy way to get a fish like that.
I would love to go to Andrew Sandler's house one day in New York to knock some of these off my bucketlist like the Narcosis since he's got a pair.

Centropyge colini annd Centropyge joculator are rare but not excessively rare

agreed, both were / are being captive bred time to time as well, but their price tag is still high so I get why a ton of people don't have them. WIsh they would be in some more public aquariums. Same with Holacanthus africanus.

Blackspot Angelfish Centropyge nigriocellus
Patchily distributed in the Pacific Ocean.

I've heard this species has only entered the trade once, and it was only a single or 2 of them. Mainly because they're so reclusive in nature, no one makes an effort to collect them. Don't think we'll get any pics unfortunately.

Resplendent Angelfish Centropyge resplendens
Endemic to Ascension Island.

This predates my time but I heard in the early 2000's or 2010's, someone was actually breeding Resplendent's and there were a couple that sold in the trade, there's gotta be some around hopefully in someone's tank. They're not collected from the wild at all

 

[DaLilFishie]

I've heard this species has only entered the trade once, and it was only a single or 2 of them. Mainly because they're so reclusive in nature, no one makes an effort to collect them. Don't think we'll get any pics unfortunately.

Yep, it's an extremely cryptic species, basically never leaving the reef structure. Even divers never see them, they're pretty much only recorded when fish poisons are used to sample cryptic fishes.