Pygmy Angelfish

The Pygmy Angelfish (Centropyge argi), also called the cherub angelfish, is one of the smallest marine angelfish, a deep royal-blue dwarf angelfish with a bright yellow-orange face and chest. It is found in the western Atlantic and Caribbean, typically on deeper reefs and rubble slopes. Despite its tiny size it is bold and territorial, and it is a popular nano-aquarium fish. Like other Centropyge it grazes algae and shelters close to rubble and reef crevices.

Identify the Pygmy Angelfish by:

• Very small size (~6-8 cm), among the smallest angelfish.
• Deep royal-blue body.
• A contrasting bright yellow-orange face and chest.
• Thin blue rings around the eyes.

The blue body with a yellow-orange face on a tiny fish is diagnostic in the western Atlantic.

Pygmy Angelfish inhabit coral reefs, rubble slopes, and rocky reef zones, often at moderate depths from about 5 to 30 m or deeper, in the western Atlantic and Caribbean. They favour areas with plenty of rubble and small crevices that offer immediate shelter for such a small fish.

Pygmy Angelfish are diurnal grazers feeding mainly on algae and detritus, along with tiny invertebrates. Despite their size they are territorial and stay close to rubble and crevices into which they dart when threatened. They live in small haremic groups and, like other dwarf angelfish, are protogynous hermaphrodites, with a dominant male overseeing several females and spawning in pairs.