Centropyge Flavicauda
Scientific Name : Centropyge Flavicauda
Origin : Indo-Pacific Oceans
Temperament : Semi-Aggressive
Temperature : 72F - 82F
Maximum Size : 3 Inches
Diet : Omnivore
Difficulty : medium
Reef Safe : With Caution
Tank Size : 30 Gallons
Centropyge Flavicauda is a small member of the centropyge genus that is very common in some parts of the Indo-Pacific Ocean.
It is known as the ugly cousin of Centropyge Argi. Some common names include Pacific Pygmy Angelfish, White tail Angelfish and yellow tail angelfish. While these two do look somewhat alike, they are easily differentiated if put side by side.
Centropyge flavicauda has a white to yellow tail as opposed to a blue one. It doesn't have as much yellow around its face and is normally a very dark blue that is approaching black. Along with Centropyge Fisheri, Centropyge Argi, Centropyge Acanthops and Centropyge Aurantonotus, they are among the smallest members within the genus.
They do not grow much larger than 3 inches and usually come in at at 2 to 3 inches. They cost between $20 to $30 for a specimen and are not very popular angelfish in the marine aquarium hobby. Given a choice, most hobbyists purchase centropyge argi instead of centropyge flavicauda.
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.
Like all members of the genus Centropyge, they are not a hundred percent reef safe and have been known to nip on corals and especially the mantle of clams.
Because they are a small fish, they can be housed in aquariums as small as 30 gallons. But they generally get along better in larger aquariums especially if the tank is crowded. Always quarantine new fish to avoid spreading diseases and parasites in the main aquarium.
They do not get along with other members of the genus and putting two centropyge flavicauda together in a small aquarium is risky.
While not as pretty as its Caribbean counterpart, Centropyge Flavicauda is nevertheless an interesting dwarf angelfish, if a bit drab to look at.
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