
Rusty angelfish
Centropyge ferrugata
It shuttles between crevices grazing hair algae and guards its patch.
The Rusty angelfish (Centropyge ferrugata) is a tropical marine fish of the family Pomacanthidae. It lives on and around reefs, between 6 and 30 m deep. Adults grow to about 9 cm; the largest on record measured 10 cm (total length). In the aquarium it needs a tank at least 120 cm long and water at 23–27 °C.
- Size
- 9 cm
- Smallest tank
- 120 cm
- Temperature
- 23–27 °C
- Care
- Moderate
In the aquarium
Temperature23–27 °C
pH7.8–8.5
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Activity
- Moderate
- Water layer
- Mid water
- Group
- Lives on its own
- Coral
- Nips corals
These values are compiled from real species data, and the LumaReef simulation is built to keep them true to life.
Which tank it fits
- Nano60 cm · 65 litresToo small
- Standard90 cm · 180 litresToo small
- Wide120 cm · 300 litres25 of them
- Living room180 cm · 650 litres54 of them
- Showcase250 cm · 1,200 litres100 of them
- Gallery300 cm · 1,440 litres120 of them
Who it lives with
Gets along56 species
- Pink skunk clownfish
- Flame wrasse
- Randall's shrimpgoby
- Dispar anthias
- Domino damselfish
- Radiant wrasse
- Cleaner wrasse
- Yellow watchman goby
- Fire goby
- Bicolor blenny
- Lyretail anthias
- Yellowhead jawfish
- Swissguard basslet
- Chalk bass
- Pajama cardinalfish
- Green chromis
- Blue damselfish
- Yellow coris wrasse
- Carpenter's flasher wrasse
- Leopard wrasse
- Purple firefish
- Court jester goby
- Royal gramma
- Scooter dragonet
Caution43 species
Both semi-aggressive
- Canary blenny
- Striped fang blenny
- Neon dottyback
- Bartlett's anthias
- Clownfish
- Flame angelfish
- Coral beauty angelfish
- Potter's angelfish
- Mystery wrasse
- Blackcap basslet
- Flame hawkfish
- Orchid dottyback
- Banggai cardinalfish
- Percula clownfish
- Clarkii clownfish
- Cherub angelfish
- Sixline wrasse
- Falco hawkfish
- Valentini puffer
- Tomato clownfish
- Yellowtail damselfish
- Azure damselfish
- Lemonpeel angelfish
- Bicolor angelfish
- Scott's fairy wrasse
- Midas blenny
- Longnose hawkfish
- Kole tang
- Yellow tang
- Scopas tang
- Convict tang
- Raccoon butterflyfish
- Dwarf lionfish
- Squarespot anthias
- Threadfin butterflyfish
- Engineer goby
- Sailfin tang
- Naso tang
- French angelfish
- Porcupine puffer
- Volitans lionfish
- Niger triggerfish
Narrow shared temperature range
In the wild
- Water type
- Marine
- Climate zone
- Tropical
- Habitat
- Coral and rocky reefs
- Largest on record
- 10 cmtotal length
- Aquarium trade
- Traded commercially
Depth
surface
6 m30 m
Conservation status
Classification
- OrderAcanthuriformes
- FamilyPomacanthidae
- GenusCentropyge
- SpeciesCentropyge ferrugata
In other languages
- German
- Rostbrauner Zwergkaiserfisch
- Spanish
- Ángel oxidado
- French
- Poisson-ange nain rouille
- Italian
- Pesce angelo ossidato
- Japanese
- アカハラヤッコ
Quick answers
- Rusty angelfish size: how big does it get?
- Adults reach about 9 cm. The largest on record measured 10 cm (total length). Record sizes among the 12 Centropyge species on LumaReef: 8 cm (Cherub angelfish) to 19 cm (Keyhole Angelfish).
- Rusty angelfish tank size: what is the minimum?
- A tank at least 120 cm long. In LumaReef that is the Wide tank or larger.
- Rusty angelfish water parameters: what does it need?
- Temperature 23–27 °C, pH 7.8–8.5. Close to what most Centropyge on LumaReef need (23–27 °C).
- Rusty angelfish tank mates: what can it live with?
- It gets along with 56 of the 99 reef species in the catalogue, such as Pink skunk clownfish, Flame wrasse, and Randall's shrimpgoby.
- Rusty angelfish: alone or in a group?
- It can be kept on its own.
- Rusty angelfish and corals: is it reef safe?
- No, it may nip at corals.
- Rusty angelfish depth: how deep does it live?
- In the wild, 6 to 30 m down. Shallower than most Centropyge on LumaReef (3–60 m).
Similar species
Sources
Rusty angelfish: compiled from these references.









