Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Bicolor Angelfish
Centropyge bicolor
Also called Two-coloured angelfish, Oriole angelfish, Oriole dwarf angel, Pacific rock beauty, Blue and gold angel
From Indo-Pacific: East Africa to the Samoan and Phoenix Islands, north to southern Japan and south to New Caledonia, throughout Micronesia12
At a glance the quick version
Wild lifespan varies by region; FishBase gives a maximum of 13 years
Looks how to spot one
Small, oval dwarf angelfish
Split cleanly into two colours: the head, front of the body and tail are bright yellow, while the rest is deep blue. A short blue band runs from the eye over the top of the head.23
Personality what they are like
Semi-aggressive and best as the only dwarf angel in the tank. It dashes between hiding spots and gets bolder over time.312
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Constantly moves between bits of cover, grazing as it goes.13
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Needs lots of hiding spots and live rock to graze on. It may nip at stony and soft corals and clam mantles.3
Home where they are happiest
A tank of at least 70 to 75 US gallons (about 265 to 285 L) with plenty of rock and caves. Saltwater at about 22 to 26 °C, pH 8.1 to 8.4, dKH 8 to 12, specific gravity 1.020 to 1.025. In the wild it lives on lagoon, channel and sheltered seaward reef slopes at about 1 to 25 m.321
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 eat algae, small crustaceans and worms.312
Company who they like around
Wild adults live in harems of one male with about seven ranked females. In an aquarium it is usually kept singly or with fish of different types.21
The story where it all began
Marcus Elieser Bloch described the species in 1787 as Chaetodon bicolor, and it was later placed in Centropyge. Its two-colour pattern makes it one of the easiest dwarf angels to recognise.21
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
If the harem male disappears, the top-ranked female becomes a male in about 18 to 20 days.1
- 2
Its larvae drift in open water for around a month before settling on the reef.2
- 3
In aquariums it sometimes acts as a cleaner, picking at other fish.2
- 4
Higher-ranked females in a harem spawn more often than lower-ranked ones.2
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 Bicolor 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 support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- FishBase: Centropyge bicolor, Bicolor angelfish fishbase.seused for length, distribution, depth, habitat, diet, sex change, lifespan, IUCN status, describer
- Wikipedia: Centropyge bicolor en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, colour description, harems, spawning, larval period, history, aquarium notes
- LiveAquaria: Bicolor 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.