Lemonpeel Angelfish

The lemonpeel angelfish takes its name from its shiny, peel-like lemon-yellow color. The blue ring around the eye, the blue line on the gill-cover spine and the blue edges of the dorsal, anal and tail fins are its main distinguishing features. Juveniles have a blue-framed black eyespot in the middle of the body, which disappears as they grow. In some areas, juveniles of the chocolate tang (Acanthurus pyroferus) mimic this species.

Individuals are collected from the wild. In some areas of the wild it hybridizes with the Eibl's and Vrolik's angelfish; these hybrids may be sold in intermediate colors. It is a robust species and can live more than 10 years in the aquarium.

It lives in shallow lagoons and on exposed outer reef slopes of the Pacific islands, in areas rich in coral. Juveniles live hidden; adults roam among rocks and corals in small harems. It feeds mainly on algae.

• Volume: at least 250 liters; live rock with plenty of caves and passages.
• Water: salinity 1.023–1.026 specific gravity, pH 8.1–8.4, temperature 24–27°C.
• Maturity: an aquarium a few months old with algae on the rock surfaces; this species grazes the rocks all day.
• Reef compatibility: reef safe with caution, but on the risky side. It nips LPS corals, zoanthids, tridacna mantles and sometimes soft corals; it is not recommended for an aquarium with a valuable LPS collection.

Omnivorous with a mostly plant-based diet. Offer angelfish foods containing spirulina and seaweed, dried seaweed, frozen mysis and brine shrimp. If plant food is lacking, coral nipping increases; feed small amounts 2–3 times a day.

Active and curious; it defends its territory. It can be aggressive toward other dwarf angelfish, especially yellow fish. It gets along with larger fish of a different shape.

Good companions: clownfish, tangs, anthias, wrasses, cardinalfish, gobies, blennies.

Avoid: a second dwarf angelfish, small yellow fish (e.g. the yellow clown goby) in a cramped aquarium, LPS-dominated reefs, lionfish.

Kept as a single individual in the aquarium. It is a female-first species and has been shown to be able to change sex in both directions; in a large aquarium two fish of clearly different sizes may form a pair.

Pairs release pelagic eggs at dusk. Spawning can be seen in the aquarium; raising fry requires expertise.

• Marine white spot and velvet: quarantine is recommended.
• Copper sensitivity: loss of appetite may be seen during copper treatment.
• Fading color: in fish fed a single type of food for a long time, the yellow becomes dull.

The sexes cannot be reliably told apart externally; in a pair the larger fish is usually the male.