Collectible Aquarium Fish: The Peppermint Angelfish

Once again, we will discuss here one of the most expensive collectible aquarium fish in the world. This time, this fish came from way deep in the ocean. A saltwater fish that is not that easy to catch.

The peppermint angelfish (Centropyge boylei) is a relatively small species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It is found in the Central area of the South Pacific Ocean, and is known to be native to the Cook Islands.

The Peppermint Angel is a more recent discovery, as the species name indicates, it was discovered by Charles (Chip) Boyle.

The peppermint angelfish has a deep, oval shaped body which has five white vertical bands on a reddish-orange background. The dorsal and anal fins have white margins and the caudal fin is translucent. The face and chin are white. This species attains a maximum total length of 7 centimetres or 2.8 inches.

On areas of Coral rubble, this fish is found at depths of 55 to 120 metres (180 to 394 ft). Overhangs and caves situated in the steep outer slopes of reefs. It is little known but its diet is thought to be made up of worms, crustaceans, sponges, tunicates, and detritus. It has been recorded in pairs or small groups.

Once divers do reach the required depth, their time is limited, and they have the ensuing challenge of trying to capture and collect this cryptic angel in deep waters that only limited light reaches. Not to mention, Peppermint Angels are not swimming out and about in the water column, they reside in rocky caves and coral structures, so their accessibility is extremely limited. Once a Peppermint Angel is collected it must be handled with the utmost care and attention to ensure it is properly decompressed as it transitions from the depths to the surface.

The Peppermint Angelfish is a rare angelfish, it is also known as the holy grail of fish in the aquarium industry.

They prefer to hide in the rocky caves and coral reefs down to a depth of some 300 or 400 feet. According to the IUCN Red List, the peppermint angelfish is considered to be a species of least concern.

• Scientific Name: Centropyge boylei
• Size: Adults usually reach a maximum of 2.5″
• Fact: Unlike most shallow water Dwarf Angelfish, Peppermints prefer cooler waters and low light conditions in aquariums
• Price: $800-$1000 for juveniles and $5000+ for adults

A for its nutrition and diet, as any marine aquarist knows, the biggest (and most nerve-racking) challenge to newly acquired fish is converting the fish to feed and accept food that is not accustomed to foraging on. Most often it is trial and error when feeding new arrivals. New fish arrivals often pick and nip at the food offerings and usually spit it back out. Prepared foods are foreign to the fish’s palate, so offerings must be varied in both type of food and particle size until something triggers a positive feeding response.

The peppermint angelfish is known as one of the most expensive fish in the world with $30,000 as of this writing mid of 2022, being the highest listed price. And there is excellent reasoning for it! Collecting this fish requires a specially trained diver to reach nearly 400 feet down into the ocean.

We’ve seen someone posted this fish on YouTube came as a gift from someone popular in social media, it is so gorgeous yet of course, is really expensive.

Cheerio!