Bony fish · Perciformes · Cichlidae
Angelfish
Pterophyllum scalare
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
The freshwater angelfish — known in Spanish as escalar, pez ángel or pez amazónico ángel — is a freshwater fish belonging to the cichlid family. It is one of the most popular tropical fish species in the aquarium world.
Size
12 cm – 15 cm
Lifespan
10 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
In pairs
Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- Its extremely flattened shape and dark vertical bands make it vanish among stems and roots, whether seen head-on or in profile.
- It forms stable pairs that clean a leaf or a vertical root before spawning on it and defend the eggs together.
- It is one of the oldest aquarium fish on the market and has given rise to dozens of colour and fin varieties.
- Its body, very tall and laterally compressed, with elongated dorsal and anal fins, is camouflage: among vertical stems and roots its silhouette blends into the vegetation.
- The dark vertical bars complete the effect and, what is more, fade or intensify with the fish's state, which serves as a signal to other members of its species.
- It forms stable, monogamous pairs that defend the territory together and tend the clutch.
- Although it measures about 15 cm in length, its height with fins spread can exceed 20, which is why it needs tall aquariums.
- Almost all specimens in the trade are captive-bred, and they have been selected for so many generations that they scarcely resemble wild ones.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (fish)
- Habitat & environment
- Vegetated backwaters and submerged roots of the Amazon basin
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterophyllum_scalare
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapRelated species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Angelfish — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Nile Tilapia
Oreochromis niloticus
Oscar
Astronotus ocellatus
Green Discus
Symphysodon aequifasciatus
Zebra Mbuna
Maylandia zebra
Midas Cichlid
Amphilophus citrinellus
Convict Cichlid
Amatitlania nigrofasciata
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about angelfish.
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