Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Lemonpeel Angelfish
Centropyge flavissima
Also called Lemonpeel pygmy angelfish, Yellow angelfish, True lemonpeel
From Western and central Pacific, from the Ryukyu and Ogasawara Islands of Japan east to the Tuamotu Islands and south to Australia, plus Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands12
At a glance the quick version
FishBase reports up to 11 years in captivity
Looks how to spot one
Small, oval dwarf angelfish
A bright lemon-yellow dwarf angel with neat blue trim: a blue ring around the eye, a blue gill-cover spine and blue edges on the dorsal, anal and tail fins. Young fish carry a blue-ringed black eyespot on the side.23
Personality what they are like
Semi-aggressive. Youngsters are shy, while adults become more confident.321
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Active grazer that picks microalgae from rock throughout the day.32
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Needs plenty of hiding places and lots of live rock covered in microalgae. Keep only one Centropyge angel per tank. It may nip at large-polyped stony corals and clam mantles.3
Home where they are happiest
A tank of at least 70 US gallons (about 265 L). Saltwater at about 22 to 26 °C, pH 8.1 to 8.4, dKH 8 to 12, specific gravity 1.020 to 1.025. Wild fish live in coral-rich lagoons and seaward reefs, usually shallower than 20 m, in water of about 24 to 28 °C.312
Food basics what goes in the bowl
An omnivore. Offer a varied menu of spirulina and marine algae, a good angelfish food, and meaty items such as frozen mysis shrimp. Wild fish feed mainly on filamentous algae.312
Company who they like around
Lives in small harems of one male and several females. A dominant female can become male, and the change can also go back the other way.21
The story where it all began
Georges Cuvier described the species in 1831 as Holocanthus flavissimus, from Uléa in the Caroline Islands. Its scientific name means 'very yellow', a fitting label for its colouring.21
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
The name flavissima is Latin for 'very yellow'.2
- 2
This species can change sex in both directions, female to male and back again.1
- 3
Juveniles wear a black eyespot ringed in blue that fades as they grow.2
- 4
Hobbyists call it the 'true' lemonpeel to set it apart from a similar-looking fish that lacks the blue trim.3
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed 2009)1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Lemonpeel Angelfish. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Salinity checkevery week
- Top-upTop up evaporation with fresh RO water, not salt waterevery day
- Water testevery week
- Water changeAbout 10 to 20% of the waterevery 2 weeks
- Glass cleanevery week
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FishBase: Centropyge flavissima, Lemonpeel angelfish fishbase.seused for length, distribution, depth, temperature, diet, sex change, lifespan, IUCN status, describer
- Wikipedia: Centropyge flavissima en.wikipedia.orgused for colour description, size, distribution, habitat, harems, history, etymology
- LiveAquaria: Lemonpeel Angelfish liveaquaria.comused for aquarium care, tank size, water parameters, temperament, diet
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.