Centropyge argi
Cherubfish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Pomacanthidae (Angelfishes)
Centropyge
Centropyge argi (Cherubfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Oval in profile, moderately deep bodied, and strongly compressed. 2 or 3 large spines on preorbital bone and a narrow blue ring around eye. Margin of preoperculum is strongly serrated, and a small spine is located on ventral margin, below large spine on corner. Operculum has a very broad, triangular spine on margin. Gill rakers on first arch number 22 to 24. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 28%–33%, snout length 7%–8%, eye diameter 7%–10%, upper jaw length 5%–7%, pectoral fin length 22%–27%, body depth 50%–56%. Pectoral fin has 15 or 16 rays. Dorsal fin has 14 or 15 spines, with margin behind first 4 spines deeply incised, and 15 or 16 rays. Anal fin has 17 rays, and membranes are deeply incised between first two spines. Lateral line extends to rayed section of dorsal fin and consists of 32 to 34 pored scales.
Dark blue, with yellowish or yellowish orange snout, cheek, chest, and pectoral fins. Eye is surrounded by a blue ring, and a blue smudge is located behind corner of mouth.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from West Palm Beach, FL, and Bermuda to northern South America, including the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and the Antilles.
Habitat Associations
Near shore to 30 m
Biology
Food is thought to be algae.
Maximum known size is 50 mm TL.
Normally occurs in rubble areas. Feeds on various types of algae. Oviparous (Ref. 205), monogamous (Ref. 52884). Retreats into holes when frightened (Ref. 9710). Has been reared in captivity (Ref. 35408).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; mating system: monogamy; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 240). Monogamous mating is observed as both facultative and social (Ref. 52884).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2009-10-08. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Woods and Kanazawa 1951
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Randall 1968a
Randall 1996
Feddern 1972
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Rezak et al. 1985
Robins and Ray 1986
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Burgess 2002b
Randall, J.E. (1967) Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Miami 5:665-847.
Thresher, R.E. (1984) Reproduction in reef fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Neptune City, New Jersey. 399 p.
Allen, G.R. (1985) Butterfly and angelfishes of the world. Vol. 2. 3rd edit. in English. Mergus Publishers, Melle, Germany.
Cervigón, F. (1993) Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Volume 2. Fundación Científica Los Roques, Caracas,Venezuela. 497 p.
Lieske, E. and R. Myers (1994) Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers, 400 p.
Whiteman, E.A. and I.M. Côté (2004) Monogamy in marine fishes. Biol. Rev. 79:351-375.
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