🐠 Joculator Angelfish (Centropyge joculator)
A Bright Yellow Front and Deep Blue-Black Rear • A Rare Find With a Narrow Natural Range • Hardy and Easy to Keep Once Acquired
 
📋 The Joculator Angelfish, also known as the Cocos Pygmy Angelfish or Yellowhead Angelfish, has a striking bicolor body: bright yellow on the front half and deep blue-black on the rear, with a brilliant blue ring circling the eye and a fine blue outline along the dorsal and anal fins.
This species is rare in the trade, found only around the Cocos-Keeling and Christmas Islands in the Eastern Indian Ocean, an extremely limited natural range that's the actual source of its rarity and price, rather than difficulty of collection. Within that small range, it's abundant and easy to catch in shallow water. Every Joculator Angelfish we ship is feeding well.
Unlike many other pricey rare angelfish, this species is hardy and easy to keep once acquired, resistant to most common aquarium ailments, and a reliable eater. It closely resembles the more common Bicolor Angelfish, but is distinguishable by its blue eye ring (rather than a blue bar across the nape), rounded rather than pointed dorsal and anal fins, and a smaller adult size. It's reef safe with caution, and may nip at soft and stony corals and clam mantles, so consistent feeding helps, and it's intolerant of other similarly shaped angelfish, including the Bicolor and Rock Beauty. It reaches up to 9cm, so plan on at least 265L.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 Striking Bicolor Pattern: Yellow front half, blue-black rear, with a distinctive blue eye ring
💎 Rare: Found only around the Cocos-Keeling and Christmas Islands
💪 Hardy: Easy to keep once acquired, unlike many other rare angelfish
⚠️ Reef Safe With Caution: May nip at corals and clam mantles
🐟 Intolerant of Similar Species: Avoid Bicolor and Rock Beauty Angelfish tankmates