Difference Between Male & Female Angelfish

Angelfish are majestic and come in a variety of colors. The males and females look almost identical, which makes it difficult to tell them apart. The different sexes have some slight differences in behavior, body shape, and stomach size, but the only sure way to tell the sex of an angelfish is to watch the spawning process. The female will lay eggs and the male will pass over the eggs, sometimes several times, in order to fertilize them.

  1. Behavior

    • Males tend to be more territorial than female angelfish. This behavior will become more evident when a female in the tank is ready to spawn. The males will start to show their papilla in order to establish territory and may become aggressive toward one another.

    Body Shape

    • Males are said to grow faster and have a fuller body shape with a fuller crown and females often have a straighter angle. This had not been verified, but if you want to make a guess about an angelfish's sex these differences might help lead you in the right direction.

    Stomach Size

    • The size of an angelfish's stomach can also be a good indication as to what sex it is. Female adult angelfish will have a fuller, broader looking abdomen because they are holding eggs that will eventually be dropped so that a male can fertilize them. Male angelfish have much flatter angular abdomens.

    Watch the Spawning Process

    • The only accurate way to know the sex of an angelfish is to watch the spawning process. This is due to the appearance of the papilla, a small tubular protrusion between the ventral and anal fins. The papilla is shaped differently in the two sexes. For the female, the papilla is longer, thicker and bluntly shaped while for the males the papilla is thinner and comes to a point, like a pencil.