How related are they?
Same genus, Centropyge (Pygmy angelfishes): very close cousins
They split at the species level: the African Flameback Angelfish belongs to Centropyge acanthops (African Flameback Angelfish), the Coral Beauty Angelfish to Centropyge bispinosa (Coral Beauty Angelfish).
Find the African Flameback Angelfish on the tree · Find the Coral Beauty Angelfish on the tree
Family lines, side by side
Highlighted rows are groups both animals belong to. The marked row is where their lines go separate ways.
| Rank | African Flameback Angelfish | Coral Beauty Angelfish |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia Animals | |
| Phylum | Chordata Chordates | |
| Subphylum | Vertebrata Vertebrates | |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata jawed vertebrates | |
| Parvphylum | Osteichthyes bony fishes | |
| Gigaclass | Actinopterygii ray-finned fishes | |
| Superclass | Actinopteri | |
| Class | Teleostei Teleost fishes | |
| Order | Acanthuriformes Surgeonfishes, angelfishes and kin | |
| Family | Pomacanthidae Marine angelfishes | |
| Genus | Centropyge Pygmy angelfishes | |
| Species split | Centropyge acanthops African Flameback Angelfish | Centropyge bispinosa Coral Beauty Angelfish |
Care, side by side
| Fact | African Flameback Angelfish | Coral Beauty Angelfish |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fish · Angelfish | Fish · Angelfish |
| Care level | Easy | Easy |
| Reef safe | With caution | With caution |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Semi-aggressive |
| Diet | Omnivore | Omnivore |
| Favorite foods | Spirulina and marine algae foods, Algae grazed from live rock, Angelfish preparations | Film and filamentous algae grazed from live rock, Frozen herbivore and angelfish formulas, Mysis shrimp |
| Max size | 3.1 in (8 cm) | 4 in (10.2 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 55 gal | 75 gal |
| Temperature | 72–78 °F | 72–78 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.020–1.025 | 1.020–1.025 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Lifespan | Not documented in the sources we checked; no published longevity study or reliable captive lifespan figure was found. | Not well documented. One retailer care guide cites 10-15 years, while hobby sources give the closely related flame angel about 5-7 years or more; expect several years with good care. |
| Breeding | Hard | Hard |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Least Concern | Least Concern |
African Flameback Angelfish guide Coral Beauty Angelfish guide