The Cortez Angelfish is a unique and eye-catching species native to the Eastern Pacific. While wild-caught specimens can be challenging to acclimate, these captive-bred juveniles are far better suited for life in home aquariums, offering improved hardiness and long-term success.
As juveniles, Cortez Angelfish display brilliant yellow and electric blue striations running along the body, making them exceptionally striking at smaller sizes. As they mature, this vibrant juvenile pattern gradually transitions into a more subdued green-blue adult coloration, highlighted by a bold yellow stripe extending over the gill plate.
This species is not reef safe. Cortez Angelfish are known to pick at corals and clam mantles and are best kept in fish-only or FOWLR systems where their natural behaviors won’t pose a risk to ornamental invertebrates.
Best kept in:
Fish-only or FOWLR aquariums
Mature systems with stable water parameters
Tanks with ample swimming space and rockwork
The Cortez Angelfish is an excellent choice for aquarists seeking a distinctive, captive-bred Pomacanthus species with striking juvenile coloration and long-term aquarium adaptability.
Pomacanthus imperator – The Emperor Angelfish is a hardy large angelfish species famous for their incredible coloration. Beautiful at all life stages, this species has one of the most dramatic color transitions of all marine angelfish. The juveniles have bright white and blue lines and spotting and they begin to develop blue bodies with bright yellow striping as they transform into adults. The transition is exciting to watch, and these bold fish make beautiful, interactive pets.
ORA’s captive bred Mandarin Dragonets do NOT require live foods. Ours readily feed on pellet and frozen foods, making them an easier to keep and ethical alternative to difficult wild caught Mandarins!Â
Synchiropus splendidus – Mandarin Dragonets are inarguably one of the most beautiful species on earth, which makes them very popular aquarium fish. Our mandarins have a mix of blue-green and red coloration on the body and deep blue accents on the fins. The coloration may appear different in varying lighting spectrums.  These photos show what our mandarins typically look like.
Unfortunately, the natural diet of wild caught mandarins is live food, which can be tedious and costly for many new hobbyists to provide, especially in immature or small tanks. Even if provided the best captive conditions, wild caught mandarins often succumb to wounds inflicted by spear guns or toxic cyanide used during the wild collection process. An overwhelming number of wild caught Mandarin Dragonets die in captivity for these reasons.