The not-quites
Old marine aquaria resources will often refer to other species — namely C. boylei, C. multifasciata and C. venusta
— which have been subjected to change in recent years. Now relocated to the subgenus Paracentropyge,
they differ from the more traditional Centropyge spp. in having a higher body profile and different dorsal ray counts. While the Multibarred angel, Paracentropyge multifasciata, and the purple mask angel, Paracentropyge venusta, are striking in their own right, it’s the third fish in this genus that takes home most of the plaudits. Revered above the rest, resembling a barber shop’s pole, the Peppermint angel, Paracentropyge boylei, is frequently termed the ‘Holy Grail’ of marine angelfish, with the exceptional prices to match (don’t expect change from some £25,000). Living at depths of 300 feet and below, they swim well clear of the vast majority of reef collectors. Even then, despite being dressed to impressed, they are far from being showy fish, instead spending their days picking over the dense rockwork and caves of their habitats, impeding collectors further.