Genus: Centropyge, Angelfish, Angelfishes

CENTROPYGE

ANGELFISHES

Body deep, compressed; a short, blunt snout; mouth small, with brush-like teeth; a long, strong spine at the corner of the preopercle with vertical margin serrated; rear of bone under eye with 2 large, rear-pointing spines; smaller spines on the preopercle, and opercle; dorsal fin un-notched, XIV; dorsal and anal fins without filaments at rear; scales squarish, moderate sized (<50 in lateral series), regularly arranged, very rough and with distinct ridges on the exposed part; scales extend out onto the median fins; without "axillary process" (an enlarged scale) at the base of the pelvic fins; lateral line ends under soft dorsal fin; juveniles similar to adults in color pattern.

A pantropical genus with ~30 species, in our region there are 2 W Atlantic species.