Flame Angel (Centropyge Loriculus)

Don’t you think that fishes with their bright colouration make a beautiful marine life? You must be wondering how these fishes make marine life so amazingly beautiful. There are many fishes who make the underwater marine life worth watching. Flame Angelfish is one of those beautiful fishes which makes the underwater sea life mesmerizing. It belongs to the family Pomacanthidae. Its binomial name  is Centropyge Loricula. It is a species of chordata phylum and Actinopterygii class. 

Physical description of Flame Angelfish

The colouration of Flame Angelfish is bright orange red with a vertical black spot. It has 4 to 5 bars on the sides of the body. The posterior part of the dorsal and the anal fins are short purple blue with black bands. The body of the Flame Angelfish is flattened and laterally compressed with rounded fins. Some of the specimens even have black spots on the dorsal and the anal fins. The caudal fin and the pectoral fins are translucent orange. Flame Angelfish is small in size and in very rare cases exceeds the length of 10 cm. 

Habitat of Flame Angelfish

Flame Angelfishes are found in the tropical areas of the Pacific Ocean. Their preferred habitat is stony coral reefs and clear lagoons which are found at the depth of 16 to 82 ft. It is rarely found speculating a hiding spot for itself. Moreover, this species is first discovered in the Society Islands which is an archipelago inside French Polynesia in the central South Pacific Ocean. They are native to the large area of the Amazon river system. Their natural habitat is in quiet and slow moving water. In the wild they take shelter in the dimelit areas under overhanging vegetation.

Diet of Flame Angelfish

Flame Angelfish is an omnivore which eats both plants and animal fare. For its proper growth it requires plenty of live rocks and algae. They especially eat fleshy food items like diced mysis, shrimp, brine shrimp, clamps. They have a very captive diet and are considered reef safe. Their diet also includes Spirulina, marine algae and frozen shrimp for better growth. Moreover, their regular diet consists of grazing certain types of algae and eating tiny animals which live within the algae. 

Behaviour and temperament of Flame Angelfish

Flame Angelfish are happy in mated pairs and smaller groups. If a group has a single male they are rarely aggressive. The males tend to fight and are aggressive towards each other. Some semi-aggressive species which can mate with Flame Angelfishes are Clownfish, Dwarf Angels and Anthias. Flame Angelfish have a tendency of turning on the other Angelfishes, displaying territoriality. They are social fishes which are semi aggressive. These fishes might be shy when introduced to a new environment but turn out to be well accustomed and habituated with time. 

Breeding of Flame Angelfish

Flame Angelfish is known to spawn in captivity. The Flame Angelfish is also haremic in the wild. They are kept in pairs or in an extra large aquarium. These fishes tend to spawn towards the end of the day and release pelagic gametes in the water column. They are oviparous like the Yellow Tank. Around dusk time the female and male Angelfish tend to do a swim dance on the surface of the water and release their egg and sperm. Within 24 hours, the eggs are fertilized to hatch into the pelagic larvae. They eventually develop into plantonic fry. Collection of eggs and raising of the larvae is one of the biggest challenges. They are broadcast spawners who release their eggs and sperm simultaneously.  

Facts about Flame Angelfish

Flame Angelfish is one of the hottest Dwarf Angelfish species. It is like a flashy addition to the aquariums and the underwater marine life. They have a daring coloration which makes them stand out from the crowd of the other marine life species. The size of male Flame Angelfish is rarely bigger than the female ones. The lifespan of the Flame Angelfish is 5 to 7 years. They are hermaphrodites which means they are born females and can convert themselves into males. The Flame Angelfish adapt themselves in the aquarium life. They are also reef safe and daring swimmers. Their semi-aggressive and energetic nature makes them socially acceptable among other species. 

The bottom line

The Flame Angelfish has a daring and bright body colouration which makes it unique. It’s exotic and distinctive traits make them instant headturners for the underwater marine life lovers. They are captivating for the photographers and artists. The Flame Angelfishes are also prone to skin parasites like saltwater ich. They are very delicate and fragile creatures. Apart from this, they are also extremely wonderful to look at and have acquired shades of beautiful and mesmerizing color. If you are also a marine life lover, do not forget to explore more about this fish.