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| Freshwater angelfish | ||||||||||||
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Pterophyllum leopoldi Pterophyllum scalare |
Freshwater angelfish are small cichlids from the Amazon River basin with a striking, compressed body shape and long extended dorsal and anal fins--the fish can be taller than they are long. There are three recognized species, all belonging to the genus Pterophyllum.
The largest and best known species is Pterophyllum scalare. Its natural color is silvery with three brownish vertical stripes. It is very peaceful and a popular aquarium fish. Numerous decorative breeds exist, with varying color patterns and extended fins. Its maximum size is around 12-15 cm (up to 6 inches) length, up to 20 cm height.
For aquarium breeding, the angelfish is a bad parent compared to many other cichlids, and quite often eats its young. The eggs are deposited on a root or large leaf of some water plant, and the young are cared for by both parents.
The angelfish inhabits slow waters in the Amazon region, where its shape allows it good protection among roots and plants, often on a vertical surface. It eats small invertebrates and is no danger to other fish in an aquarium.
Due to its temperament and appearance, it is one of the few cichlids that are commonly kept in decorative tanks or public displays with smaller types of fish.