Bicolor Angelfish, Centropyge bicolor (Bloch 1787)
A Bicolor Angelfish, Centropyge bicolor, at South West Rocks, New South Wales, May 2013. Source: Ian Shaw / iNaturalist.org. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial
Bicolor Angelfish, Centropyge bicolor (Bloch 1787)
More Info
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Distribution |
Quobba, Rowley Shoals and Scott Reef, Western Australia, Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, and the far northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, and reefs in the Coral Sea, south to at least Narooma, New South Wales; also Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean. Elsewhere, the species is widespread in the tropical, east-Indo-west-central Pacific: Indo-Malayan region to the Line Islands, north to southern Japan, and south to New Caledonia. Inhabits rich coral areas on exposed and semi-exposed reef slopes, drop-offs channels and lagoons, usually in depths below 5 metres. The species swims near the bottom, never venturing far from the shelter of holes and crevices in the reef. |
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Feeding |
A benthic omnivore - feeds on algae, crustaceans, polychaete worms and other invertebrates. |
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Biology |
A protogynous hermaphrodite, with individuals initially all female and capable of changing sex to become males. Throughout the year, males maintain a harem of up to seven adult and immature females. Spawning occurs from November to March. The females live in a social heirarchy. If the male disappears, the top ranking female will change sex to become a male and assume leadership of the harem. |
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Fisheries |
Common in the aquarium fish industry, although difficult to keep in captivity. |
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Similar Species |
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Etymology |
The specific name bicolor is from the Latin bi- (= two) and color = (colour, hue), in reference to the blue and yellow colour of this species. |
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Species Citation |
Chaetodon bicolor Bloch, 1787, Naturgesch. ausländ. Fische 3: 94. Type locality: East Indies. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2024 |
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Resources |
Bicolor Angelfish, Centropyge bicolor (Bloch 1787)
References
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Hobbs, J-P.A., Newman, S .J., Mitsopoulos, G.E.A., Travers, M.J., Skepper, C.L., Gilligan, J.J., Allen, G.R., Choat, H.J. & Ayling, A.M. 2014. Fishes of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands: new records, community composition and biogeographic significance. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 30: 203–219 See ref online
Hui, T.H., Maruse, T., Fujita, Y., Kiat, T.S. 2014. Observations on the fauna from submarine and associated anchialine caves in Christmas Island, Indian Ocean Territory, Australia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement 30: 406-418. See ref online
Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Biodiversity of shallow reef fish assemblages in Western Australia using a rapid censusing technique. Records of the Western Australian Museum 20: 247-270.
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Konow, N. & D.R. Bellwood. 2011. Evolution of high trophic diversity based on limited functional disparity in the feeding apparatus of marine angelfishes (f. Pomacanthidae). PLoS One 6(9) e 24113. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024113
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