Friday Fish Facts - Coral Beauty

The Coral Beauty (Twospined Angelfish, Dusky Angelfish, Centropyge bispinosus) is a favorite among reef keepers because they have vivid coloration and they are just about the only angelfish that will most likely not eat corals and invertebrates. They are readily available and fairly inexpensive. The vibrant, radiating orange to purple signature coloration, combined with the cost to enjoyment ratio of the Coral Beauty is hard to match.

Hailing from the Indo-Pacific region, the Coral Beauty can grow to a maximum size of 4 inches, however most in the aquarium hobby are between 1 inch to 3 inches. The minimum recommended tank size for a Coral Beauty is 30 gallons, however larger tanks are recommended to help deter from nipping at corals and invertebrates.

The Dusky Angelfish enjoys a mixed diet of spirulina, algae and meaty foods such as brine shrimp or mysid shrimp. The Coral Beauty should be fed 3 times per day, unless the aquarium has a steady growth of macro algae that the angelfish can feed on. Then reduce to meaty feedings twice per day. Given a steady and varied diet, plus plenty of room in the tank, should help keep this angelfish from picking on helpless starfish and corals.