Japanese Pygmy Angelfish Juveniles at Blue Harbor

Rare angelfish are getting more and more air time in the online aquarium community lately, and the gorgeous Japanese angelfish (Centropyge interruptus) is just another great dwarf angel to wow hobbyists. The fish’s juvenile coloration includes a bright yellow anterior that transitions into a deep blue body with the help of some remarkable blue spotting. The caudal fin is a vibrant yellow, which contrasts sharply with the blue posterior of the fish, and the dorsal fin is punctuated with a false eyespot. As the fish matures, it does lose the false eyespot and its beauty wanes a bit, but the overall coloration of the adult male Japanese pygmy angelfish remains similar to its juvenile form. The female, on the other hand, doesn’t remain as colorful as it ages.

It should come as no surprise that the video above is from Japan-based fish dealers Blue Harbor. They are renown for their high end livestock, and that’s exactly what the C. interruptus angel is, a rare and expensive fish. To help get the point across that Blue Harbor is the premiere rare fish collector, the tank is also full of ventralis anthias (Pseudanthias ventralis), which aren’t exactly common. The Japanese pygmy angel rarely makes to the US, and when it does the retail price is usually close to $2000 per fish. And despite the fact the fish get rather large as far as dwarf angels go, their prices are usually highest when they are juveniles since they are far more colorful at this stage.