Fun Half Black Angelfish Facts For Kids

If your child is one of those that can spend hours and hours just peering into an aquarium and admiring the fish that roam its depths, they are sure to have talked to a friendly angelfish at some point.

Angelfish is one of the most common types of fish seen in an aquarium at people's homes, and not without good reason. There are several different types of angelfish, and each one has a very distinct and attractive coloring that separates it from its fish cousins.

The half black angelfish, pearlscale angelfish, or Centropyge vroliki (named after famous Dutch anatomist Willem Vrolik) boasts a very ornamental-looking exterior, causing it to be a common sight in the aquarium trade.

Native to Australia, Vanuatu, and the Marshall Islands, these fish are known to hybridize with the Blacktail angelfish and the Lemonpeel angelfish, leading to all sorts of exotic patterned fish.

While the half black angelfish (Centropyge vroliki) is not the apex predator, they will not hesitate to feed on clam mantles, Mysis shrimp, and Spirulina (marine algae).

As such, they are often provided with a live rock for grazing in their aquarium. They may seem like dwarf fish due to their size, but make no mistake, the half black angelfish do not get along well with other angelfish.

They don't mind other species of fish like the Bluespine Unicornfish or the Golden Cave Catfish though, so they're a semi-aggressive aquarium companion.

Half Black Angelfish Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a half black angelfish?

As is clear from its name (but not so much its scientific name!), the half-black, or pearlscale angelfish is a beautiful fish.

What class of animal does a half black angelfish belong to?

The half black angelfish belongs to the Pomacanthidae family, a family of marine angelfish that are biologically distinct from freshwater angelfish.

How many half black angelfish are there in the world?

While the exact number of half black angelfish in our waters is not known, it is quite abundant both in the Indo-Pacific and in the aquarium trade.

Where does a half black angelfish live?

The half-black or pearlscale angelfish species is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, off the coasts of Australia, Vanuatu, and the Marshall Islands. Apart from that, it can also call an aquarium home! Since it enjoys eating coral when it's feeling peckish, we cannot consider the half black angelfish reef safe.

What is a half black angelfish's habitat?

The pearlscale angelfish, like its fish cousin, the Blue-ring angelfish, is found in coastal lagoons as well as in deeper waters that house reefs. Due to its diet (omnivore), it inhabits waters rich in algae, Mysis shrimp, and corals.

Who do half black angelfish live with?

They live as a group of one dominant male half black angelfish, a group of females, and their offspring, an arrangement called a harem. They will often get into arguments with other angelfish. Since they do not feed on fish, the altercation (thankfully) does not usually end in death!

How long does a half black angelfish live?

In an aquarium that is the right size for them and with a decent care level, half black angelfish can live for up to 10 years.

How do they reproduce?

Half black angelfish, in an aquarium setting, will get aggressive and defend a portion of the aquarium from other fish for privacy. Then, the pair use a flat surface on the aquarium walls to mate, and you may often mistake it for fighting!

What is their conservation status?

The half black angelfish (Centropyge vroliki) is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species as a species of Least Concern, meaning its population in the world is stable as of now, and its habitat is not under any threat.

Half Black Angelfish Fun Facts

What do half black angelfish look like?

The half black angelfish (Centropyge vroliki) is a very well-dressed and well-groomed fish that sports a pearly white head and eventually fades into a jet black tail fin, with the scales on its body featuring a gradient effect.

The edges of its caudal (tail) fin, dorsal fin (the one on the top of its body), and anal fin (the one at the posterior of the fish) are colored a bright blue.

Being an angelfish, it sports the distinctly shaped angel wing-like fins of its fish family.

How cute are they?

The half-black or pearlscale angelfish are a very cute species of fish that we're sure children will stare at fixated due to its dazzling coloring.

How do they communicate?

Angelfish most often use aggressive and distinct body movements to communicate with their tank mates and also release chemicals like urine or bile into the water to communicate their social status. Who knew fish were as social as us?!

How big is a half black angelfish?

The half black Angelfish is of a smaller size compared to other angelfish, growing to a maximum of 5 in (13 cm). There is hardly any difference in size between a male and female half black angelfish.

It can grow to become almost exactly the same size as a Leopard Wrasse which is around 5 in (13 cm) in size and are 10 times smaller than the largest of the Tilefish, which can grow as large as 50 in (127 cm) in size.

How fast can a Half Black Angelfish swim?

While angelfish are known to be slow swimmers, the half black angelfish is comparatively faster, due to its slightly smaller size.

How much does a half black angelfish weigh?

The exact weight of this species is not known but is estimated to be around 1-2 lb (0.5-1 kg)

What are the male and female names of the species?

Both the male and female of this species are referred to by the same name.

What would you call a baby half black angelfish?

A baby half black angelfish could be called a half-black angelfry, with fry being the general term for all baby fish.

What do they eat?

In their natural habitat, their diet consists of coral, Mysis shrimp, and filamentous algae. When they are kept in a tank, this diet can be modified to provide the best nutrition possible through Spirulina (marine algae), and fresh or frozen meaty invertebrates like sponges.

Are they poisonous?

No, this dwarf angelfish species is not poisonous, the only angelfish known to produce poisonous toxins is the queen angelfish.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, provided its needs in terms of tank size and tank mates are met. The tank should be able to hold 70 gal (265 l) of water and preferably with a water temperature of around 78-85 �F (25.5-30 �C).

Did you know...

The half black angelfish can quickly and easily change its sex from female to male, as per the needs of the harem!

Are half black angelfish rare?

Despite our inability to breed half black angelfish, they are not rare by any means. The Black Phantom is widely considered to be the rarest angelfish.

Half black angelfish tank mates

The half black angelfish cannot be tank mates with other dwarf angelfish and must reside in a group of around four or five, with eventual breeding and spawning increasing the size of the harem. Remember to house only females together, so that one of them can covert to a male.

If you house three or four males together, they could get into a power tussle and go from semi-aggressive to super aggressive!

Learn more about some other fish from our Yellow tangand Lionfish pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable half black angelfish coloring pages.