Dwarf Angel Popularity Ranking (A to D)

[Tori]

I would like your experiences / opinions on which of the Centropyge / Paracentropyge angels are the most popular. This is for data-gathering purposes and meant to be fun. I will give mine (A most, D least, E borderline unobtainable / unobtainable):

A-
Coral Beauty (C. Bispinosa)
Flame (C. Loricula)
African Flameback (C. Acanthops)
Brazilian Flameback (C. Aurantonotus)- if it was more readily available
Atlantic Cherub (C. Argi)
Potter’s (C. Potteri)

B-
Multi-Bar (P. Multifasciata)
Purple Masked (P. Venusta)
Japanese Dwarf (C. Interrupta)- if not for the price
Golden (C. Aurantia)

C-
Lemonpeel (C. Flavissima)
Bicolor (C. Bicolor)
Eibli (C. Eibli)
Multicolor (C. Multicolor)
Colin’s (C. Colini)


D-
Rusty (C. Ferrugata)
Fisher’s (C. Fisheri)
Pacific Pygmy (C. Flavicauda)
Herald’s (C. Heraldi)
Keyhole (C. Tibicen)
Multi-Spined (C. Multispinus)
Yellow Fin (C. Flavipectoralis)
Half-Black (C. Vrolikii)
Midnight (C. Nox

E-
Peppermint (P. Boylei)
Narcosis (C. Narcosis)
Easter Island (C. Hotumatua)
Resplendent (C. Resplendens)- for sure an A if available
Deborah’s (C. Deborae)- new species, have seen a few listed for sale in Hong Kong but no one seems to have this species
Cream (C. Nigrocella)
Nahackyi (C. Nahackyi)
Mauritius Blue (C. Debelius)

Hard to place:
Shephard’s (C. Shepardi)- is it a legit species? Or does it simply represent multi-generational hybridization between the Flame and Rusty?

The Flame could be S-tier (for those of you familiar with Japanese video game rankings), for many it’s the icon for Centropyge.

Andrew Sandler’s had a pair of Narcosis for over a decade. There’s a couple Japanese hobbyists with long-lived Peppermints and one guy with a Debelius for over a decade. It does seem lots of rare species make it to Japan more often than North America / Europe.

This is a great list! Thanks for putting this together. There were quite a few that I weren't even aware of listed. You can probably also add C. Joculator to the E list. It might be cool to do a poll, just to see which dwarf angels people are keeping on this forum to see which are more popular that way too.

 

[52728299]

welcome, I currently have two lavender tangs, two clowns , two yellow tail blue damsels, 1 yellow clown goby, 1 purple stripe dottback. the lemon peel is great she s not shy and swims everywhere . she will slap u with her tail if u get too close to her. she is more aggressive than a yellow tang

Love lemonpeels. Feel like I don't see them in tanks much. My experience with them hasn't been too successful. I have a flameback angel who eats sps, also have a flame coming next month.

 

[hsosa]

With lemon peels and most reef fish they need a few caves to sleep in and also they need to be fed 3-5 small feeding through the day as well as feeding nori and some sponge . I have sponge in my tank and I keep some rock in my sump when it fills with sponge I place it in my display for the lemon peel. as far as nipping goes I haven't lost any corals due to the lemon peel

 

[hsosa]

here s a vid of the lemon peel . View attachment 2947447

 

[vlangel]

I have always like Coral Beauty's. They are pretty, hardy and readily available and most of them are not destructive to the coral.

 

[hsosa]

here s a pic . couldn't get the video to load . Lemon Peel

 

[LaloJ]

It seems that the coral beauty angelfish is the winner in popularity, even more than a bicolor angelfish. In recent years I have seen that Singapore angelfish and rusty angel have become less available here in Mexico, it seems to be some import issues.

 

[davidcalgary29]

The first fish I bought for any of my tanks was a rehomed multicolor. It's a beauty, and still doing well in that 65g RSM250, along with a tibicen angel. I picked up a pacific cherub angel in October, but that's still sitting in a quarantine tank (and doing well).

I tried a bicolor, but couldn't get it to eat.

The species I see offered most frequently for sale in Canada:

1. coral beauty (captive bred)
2. lemonpeel (captive bred)
3. flame
4. flameback
5. bicolor

I have never seen centropyge interruptus up for sale, although I've seen multicolor, midnight, potter's, eibli, half-black, golden, and odd other angel all around, here and there, on occasion.

 

[Zionas]

Nice. How long have you had your angels? Multicolor included.

 

[davidcalgary29]

I'll have had the multicolor for three years in March; the tibicen for over two; the pygmy cherub since October; and a Lamarck's and a navarchus for almost two.

 

[jaganshi066]

It seems like even captive bred multibars are hard to keep alive, I’ve tried everything and even though they eat fine they still go after a few months

 

[OrionN]

Flame Angel all the way. I cannot imagine. Reef tank w/o a flame.

 

[Zionas]

Agree. Flame deserves its own tier, S tier for those who play Japanese games.

 

[hsosa]

Nice. How long have you had your angels? Multicolor included.

ive had my lemon peel for two years she s gotten big and is now the boss of the tank.

 

[hsosa]

I just got a small bi color angel that is in QT no meds for about 3 weeks now. eating good no signs of disease. still monitoring

 

[Brymac1]

IMO there is no prettier fish than the flame angel. Here is my male, I am working on introducing a couple of females to him in the future.

 

[Seansea]

I have a bicolor and its my favorie because i went to university of michigan and it is their colors but most beautiful is flame.

Btw not reef safe at all. Nips at most of my corals but he is a cool fish.

 

[sc50964]

I love my venustus. Lucky to finally found one that eats pellets two years ago

 

[Zionas]

@hsosa Nice. How big is she now? I guess about 4 inches?

 

[Tori]

IMO there is no prettier fish than the flame angel. Here is my male, I am working on introducing a couple of females to him in the future.

Ooo, can't wait to see that. I can't imagine much sicker than a harem of flame angels. Please share if you do!