Centropyge Aurantonotus
Scientific Name : Centropyge Aurantonotus
Origin : Brazil, Caribbean
Temperament : Aggressive
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 3 Inches
Diet : Omnivore
Difficulty : medium
Reef Safe : With Caution
Tank Size : 30 Gallons
Centropyge Aurantonotus, or its common name, the Brazilian Flameback Angelfish, is one of two very similar fishes. Its twin that looks entirely alike is Centropyge Acanthops, or the African Flameback Angelfish.
The top half of its body is a brilliant orange to yellow streak that ends near its tail. Its main body including its tail is deep royal blue. They are collected from throughout the Caribbean Ocean.
Despite the fact that they look exactly the same to most observers, they are easily differentiated. You just have to look at the color of its tail. Centropyge Aurantonotus has a deep blue tail like the rest of its body while Centropyge Acanthops has a yellow tail. It is also said that the Brazilian flameback has a streak that is closer to orange than it is yellow.
These are some of the smallest members of the Centropyge genus with a maximum attainable length being a mere 3 inches. In that respect, it is one of five of the smallest members which include the African flameback, Centropyge Flavicauda, Centropyge Argi and Centropyge Fisheri.
They are not a cheap dwarf angelfish with prices that can exceed $60 for a specimen. They are not too common in the trade and are quickly snapped up by buyers when available. If you are in the market for one, do not hesitate. Always ensure it is a healthy specimen first though. In the wild, they graze throughout the day on algae, detritus, sponges and small crustaceans. Centropyge Aurantonotus adapts quite well to captive life and should start eating once it has acclimated itself to its new surroundings.
The genus centropyge feed primarily on detritus, small crustaceans and algae. Despite this, the vast majority of them tend to accept most prepated foods in captivity. It is always important to offer a mix of both meaty and algae or spirulina best foods in the marine aquarium.
A good mix of meaty and vegetable matter is essential to the overall health of dwarf angels. Some other good foods to feed daily are * Sea Veggies Seaweed, which are nutritious seaweed for grazers. Prime Reef * Flake Food which is a blend of numerous seafood and algae such as seaweed, lobster meat, salmon, shrimp, squid and zooplankton.
The best dry pellet foods on the market come from the highly reputable makers, * New Life Spectrum. Use a * Seaweed Clip when feeding them seaweed sheets. Simply take a sheet, fold it and clip it. Secure the clip to the aquarium glass in a location of your choice and they should graze on it throughout the day. Centropyge species can nip on corals so be warned.
Centropyge Aurantonotus is known to be quite an aggressive little fish in captivity unlike its close cousin. They do not tolerate other smaller centropyge and they especially do not enjoy sharing a tank with another Brazilian flameback.
If you wish to have to of them, you can either purchase a pair or pair them up yourself. Due to their small sizes, they can get by in an aquarium as small as 30 gallons. However, a 50 gallon or bigger tank is highly recommended. Always quarantine new fish to avoid spreading diseases and parasites in the main aquarium.
Centropyge Aurantonotus is a very beautiful addition to the marine aquarium and they are somewhat more popular than their African cousins. Perhaps this has to do with their all blue tail. They are always a joy to see zipping in and out of the live rock structure.
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