Different Breeds of Freshwater Angels

Angelfish are freshwater fish that originate from the rivers of South America. They are a popular fish to have in fish tanks due to their varied colors and normally non-aggressive natures. Thanks to the fact that they are native to both the Rio Negro, with its soft, acidic waters, and the Amazon River, with its moderately hard, less acidic waters, angelfish can adapt to both types of water and survive well in aquariums. Over the years many different domestic breeds have been created.

  1. Common Angelfish

    • Most of the angelfish people buy for their aquarium are artificial breeds from the wild-type species Pterophyllum scalare. They are normally around 7-10 cm long, with a round body, complete with tall dorsal and anal fins. The wild variety are silver with four vertical black bands cutting their bodies. The most popular artificial varieties include golden angels, which are yellow, and marbled angelfish, which are silver with black spots and markings.

    Exotic Angelfish

    • Some famous examples of artificial angelfish include the koi and black angelfish, which are both popular with collectors. The koi angel is a mixture of white, orange, black and silver patches, while the black angelfish is completely black, as its name suggests. The latter tend to be smaller and more aggressive in nature than other angelfish, and because they are difficult to produce they can be more expensive. Veil-tail angels are another popular variety, with extra long fins that make them slow swimmers.

    Tall Angelfish

    • Reaching up to 20 cm in height and around 18 cm in length, the Pterophyllum altum is also known as the tall angelfish. It differs from the Pterophyllum scalare in that it has a more oval body shape, a more angular head and an upturned snout. The bands on its body are also browner in color compared to the black ones of the Pterophyllum scalare. Due to their size these fish need to be placed in deep tanks, but they can be bought on the market without much difficulty.

    Dwarf Angelfish

    • Known for its dumpy appearance, Pterophyllum leopoldi is known as the dwarf angelfish or the Roman-mosed angelfish. It is a small version of the wild-type common angelfish Pterophyllum scalare and can be identified by an elongated snout. It also has a black spot at the base of the dorsal fin, while the black bands are accompanied with off-white stripes along the side. These types of angelfish are difficult to find on the market.