Flame Angelfish (Centropyge loricula)

The Flame Angelfish (Centropyge loricula) is one of the most recognizable and beloved dwarf angelfish in the marine aquarium hobby. Its brilliant red-orange body is adorned with five or six vertical black bars and iridescent purple-blue highlights on the dorsal and anal fins — a striking combination that makes it an instantly eye-catching addition to any marine aquarium. Native primarily to the Marshall Islands and Hawaii, it is moderately reef-safe but, like most Centropyge species, may occasionally nip at large-polyp stony corals and tridacnid clam mantles in well-established reef systems. Best maintained in a diverse, sponge-enriched diet to preserve vibrant coloration.

Provide a minimum 110-liter aquarium with abundant live rock for grazing on microalgae and algae films. Offer a varied diet: spirulina-enriched flake, frozen mysis, live copepods, and angel-specific preparations containing sponge material. Keep only one per tank unless the aquarium is very large. Monitor behavior with LPS corals and clams — may nip at soft tissue. Best introduced into an established system rather than a new tank.