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A Virtual Museum on the State's Fish Biodiversity

Centropyge vrolikii

No common name
Collection Details

Specimens

Photos

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Records

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes) Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri) Pomacanthidae (Angelfishes) Centropyge Centropyge vrolikii

Description

This species account was compiled from FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.) and processed using AI-assisted text extraction. It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting. When citing, please reference the original source rather than this page. Learn more about our species accounts.

Characters

Body shape: short and / or deep. Description: Pale tan or light brown becoming blackish on the posterior third of the body and the adjacent fins. Scales on the light portion with white centers. The edge of the gill opening, and the base of the pectoral fins orange. The rear portion of the dorsal and anal fins, and the caudal fin with submarginal narrow blue line. Juvenile similar to adult (Ref. 48636). Body depth 1.7-1.8 in SL. Scales longitudinal series 46-48 (Ref. 90102). Striking features: none.

Distribution

Western Pacific: Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean and Bali to the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Island. Recently recorded from Tonga (Ref. 53797).

Habitat Associations

Marine. reef-associated. depth range 0-30 m. Found in: estuaries, coral reefs.

Biology

Inhabits lagoons and seaward reefs, mainly in coral rich areas (Ref. 1602). Feeds on algae. Oviparous (Ref. 240), monogamous (Ref. 52884). Frequently exported through the aquarium trade. Form hybrids with Centropyge eibli and C. flavissima at areas of sympatry. Mimicked by juveniles of the acanthurid Acanthurus pyroferus (Ref. 48391).
Max length: 12.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; mating system: monogamy; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Distinct pairing (Ref. 205). Monogamous mating is observed as both facultative and social (Ref. 52884).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2009-10-09. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Commercial or Environmental Importance

Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; aquarium: commercial.

References

Thresher, R.E. (1984) Reproduction in reef fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Neptune City, New Jersey. 399 p.
Myers, R.F. (1991) Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p.
Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p.
Masuda, H. and G.R. Allen (1993) Meeresfische der Welt - Groß-Indopazifische Region. Tetra Verlag, Herrenteich, Melle. 528 p.
Myers, R.F. (1999) Micronesian reef fishes: a comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia, 3rd revised and expanded edition. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 330 p.
Kuiter, R.H. and T. Tonozuka (2001) Pictorial guide to Indonesian reef fishes. Part 2. Fusiliers - Dragonets, Caesionidae - Callionymidae. Zoonetics, Australia. 304-622 p.
Whiteman, E.A. and I.M. Côté (2004) Monogamy in marine fishes. Biol. Rev. 79:351-375.
Allen, G.R. and M.V. Erdmann (2012) Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth, Australia: Universitiy of Hawai'i Press, Volumes I-III. Tropical Reef Research.
Coleman, R., J.M. Copus, D.M. Coffey, R.K. Whitton and B.W. Bowen (2018) Shifting reef fish assemblages along a depth gradient in Pohnpei, Micronesia. PeerJ, 6: e4650. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4650

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