Care
Herald's Angelfish is known from steep outer reef slopes and occasionally, lagoon reefs, at depths from 5-90m (16-295ft). These herbivorous fish are moderately gregarious and are often observed feeding in small harems. Herald's Angelfish requires a mature aquarium with plenty of live rockwork, on which it can graze for the microalgae, and in which it can hide. This vibrant, golden fish is rather notorious for picking on zoanthids and LPS corals (see Reef Aquarium Compatibility below) so caution is advised when adding to a reef set up; the larger the tank, the better, as the fish is then less likely to continually pick at any particular sessile invertebrate and cause irreparable damage. A frequent, varied feeding regime will also help in this respect. Like most other members of the Centropyge genus, Herald's Angelfish does not grow very large, but nevertheless, it is an active species which requires plenty of space. Unless the aquarium is of XL proportions, only one specimen should be housed per tank, and not with any other Centropyge species. If the aquarium is spacious enough, it is possible to keep a male-female pair, or a small harem of one male and two or three females, if they are all of a fairly young age and are added simultaneously. However, this should only ever be attempted by advanced aquarists who have the means to separate the fish if a problem arises. Good filtration, along with decent water movement to generate high levels of oxygenation, are a must. This is a territorial species that will behave pugnaciously when newcomers are added to the tank after it has become established (particularly small placid fish) and so we advise that when planning on including a Herald's Angelfish in your stock list, it should be the last fish that is added to the aquarium. This species is considered one of the least hardy of the dwarf angelfish, and so is not recommended for beginners. There are many natural colour variants of this species, the most commonly seen being the variant from the Coral Sea area of the Great Barrier Reef which has a black horizontal blotch edged thinly in blue on the posterior portion of the dorsal fin, and sometimes a small black saddle on the back. This variant was once thought to be a different species and was erroneously referred to as "Centropyge whiteheadi" but is now known to be a geographical colour variant of C. heraldi. Another variant has a black blotch on the posterior of the dorsal and also a black anal fin. Interestingly, these black patches are said to sometimes disappear in the aquarium, rendering the fish a solid golden yellow, akin to the standard form. Dusky coloured variants are also known from Cebu and Vanuatu, and these may have a dusting of black all over, or just confined to one area, such as the head. Again, the black duskiness tends to vanish in the home aquarium. May also be seen on sale as False Lemonpeel Angelfish or Yellow Angelfish.
Feeding
This species requires more algae and seaweed in its diet compared to other dwarf angelfish. Should be offered a varied diet including Spirulina & marine algae as well as meaty fare such as vitamin/Spirulina-enriched brineshrimp, Mysis shrimp, special sponge-based Angelfish preparations, and finely chopped krill/squid/cockle/mussel. Feed small amounts at least 3 times per day. Fish that are well-fed are more likely to leave invertebrate life alone.
Breeding
This species has not been bred in the home aquarium. Dwarf angelfish are broadcast spawners, releasing eggs and milt simultaneously into the water column at dusk.
