Description
The pygmy angelfish, Centropyge argi, also called the cherub fish, is one of the few relatively reef safe angelfish from the Caribbean. Just how reef safe they are might be debated, but because of their small size they don’t pose much of a threat to corals or other non mobile invertebrates. There is a “strain” of these fish that can get up three inches long, but this strain rarely gets 2″ long. These are a beautiful dark purple fish with a splash of yellow or orange around their mouth and operculum. The dorsal and ventral fins are usually lined with a light blue color, but not always.
In an aquarium these fish are very easy to care for and will eat most prepared foods. They will be eating small pellets when they leave our shop, so they should start feeding right away for you.
In the wild they often live in colonies with one dominant male and a bunch of females, but I would not recommend more than one fish per tank . They have been successfully bred in captivity, but only the most sophisticated aquarists have had any luck raising the babies.
Please Note: Any new fish purchased from us or from a local pet store should to be quarantined. All fish from anywhere in the wild can be possible carriers of bacteria and protozoa that can lead to an infection in your system, so we always recommend that you use some sort of quarantine system prior to adding them to your system. If you have a fish only system and can medicate the whole system, you may not need a separate quarantine tank. If you have a reef system that cannot be medicated, a good ultraviolet sterilization system should prevent any kind of disease outbreak. We medicate our system for bacterial infections and protozoans, but because we dont always hold our fish for long periods of time, there is no way to be sure all the protozoan cysts have been killed. A little bit of prevention will save you lots of trouble down the line.
johnjrconley (verified owner) –
Possibly the most beautiful fish between my two saltwater tanks. Took a week or so before it would come out in open but now is boldly zooming all over the tank and pecking at pieces of rock. I have not seen it bother any corals though once or twice it peacefully crowds another fish until it moves out of the way to peck a piece of rock or sand that the fish had been blocking.
ijf90 (verified owner) –
I received 1 Centropyge argi. The fish was exceptionally alert and healthy with beautiful colouration. Even immediately after shipping, the specimen I received had some of the boldest colours I’ve seen on this species. The specimen acclimated well and is very active. If you are buying any Atlantic/Caribbean species, do not bother purchasing anywhere else. The value and quality at KP Aquatics is unrivaled. Phillip and Kara are experts at what they do.
Zachary Thomas (verified owner) –
Received a healthy and alert cherub that looks absolutely phenomenal. Looks a lot like the picture, but far more vivid in person. These lil guys are so cool and so far no coral nipping. They’re super fast too. Mine practically teleports around the tank. Awesome.
Michael (verified owner) –
The picture does not do this little fish justice at all for sure! Mine arrived happy and healthy looking. The colors are so vibrant and mine has an iridescent baby blue stripe along the dorsal and ventrical fin. It’s happily exploring as I type.
Another great purchase from Philip and Kara!
Matt Pedersen –
My spawning trio of Centropyge argi was hand picked and sent to me by Ken on 4-27-2007. At that time, he sent the three smallest, and the one largest specimen, he had, an in fact, he actually had me wait until more fish had come in so he could select exactly what I needed. TWO WEEKS LATER they were spawning, and the group has spawned nightly ever since. The only reason I am down to 3 now is that the largest female was killed by the male a couple years back, presumably because she had started turning into a male herself. A trio seems to be the most stable social unit for this small, and certainly aggressive, little angelfish. My spawning group is a testament to the customer service and quality I’ve come to expect from KP Aquatics / SeaLifeInc.
Dane Gagnon –
Very cool, active fish. Photo does not do it justice. Thanks Ken.
Andy szekeres –
I have to say, the folks at Sea Life Inc impress me so much. From the way they pack to the way the put up with goofy requests.
This fish is so cute, it just sits at the front of the tank like hey whats going on. It was eating within 5 mins of being in the tank.
Vernon Gibson –
It’s simple add this fish to your aquarium and you’ll have a new favorite!
Perry Acosta –
Colors are vibrant, clear eyes, looks to have arrived in good health, currently swimming in my quarantine.
Justin Friske –
Looked really bright and healthy on arrival, photo doesn’t do this fish justice. Swimming around investigating the rockwork five minutes after introduction. Very satisfied.
Michael Berry –
Great fish for a reef tank. Every fish I have bought from here has always arrived in excellent condition and ate almost immediately. These are among the best of all pygmy angels as far as temperment. IMO, they are one of the prettiest as well.
Sharyn Z Wertz –
Beautiful bright colors — the photo does NOT do this fish justice! A bit shy, but coming along nicely. Actually, this was the first one of a batch of new fish to venture out into the open. I have one good-sized cave in some lace rock that seems to be its preferred home, at least at the moment.
Joe Faszl –
Bought one of these in July and it is doing great. It was quite small and shy for a few weeks but now it owns the place. It picks at algae all day long and eats just about anything I feed it. A great addition to the reef.