Freshwater angelfish

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Onglets

Description

Distinguishing features

The freshwater angelfish is very common in fishkeeping. This is due in part to its adaptability, its longevity and its ability to reproduce easily.

It is especially appreciated for its elegant shape and the multitude of different colourings. The freshwater angelfish has a laterally compressed body and large dorsal and ventral fins ending in filaments, giving it an over-all delta shape, with a body that is taller than it is long. The pelvic fins are atrophied, forming long filaments. Wild specimens are silver with vertical black stripes. Domestic specimens come in a wide variety of colours and markings: silver with zebra stripes, black marble, “blushing” and albino, to name just a few.

Males and females are identical. It is only during the spawning period that the sexual organs are visible, making it possible to differentiate the sexes. The male’s organ is pointed and forward-facing, while the female’s is rounded and backward-facing.

Reproduction

Freshwater angelfish reach sexual maturity between the ages of six and twelve months.

During spawning, the parents become highly aggressive and chase away any fish that gets too close to the eggs. The pair tend to spar, with a view to prompting the female to lay the eggs. The partners choose an appropriate place for the eggs—a leaf, a tree trunk, a window or the side of the filter—and clean it off. The female then lays the eggs on this vertical surface, with the male fertilizing them afterwards. Laying can take up to two hours.

Good parents watch over and defend their eggs, but it takes several seasons for this behaviour to become ingrained. The parents remove any unfertilized eggs (those that turn white) and, after a few days, gently chew the healthy eggs to help larvae emerge. The larvae are now free, but their parents are ever watchful, retrieving any strays and returning them to the nest.

Diet

In the wild, freshwater angelfish forage in the silt and sludge to find the larvae of invertebrates, their main source of food. The freshwater angelfish is also a formidable hunter. Its silhouette and vertical markings allow it to blend in with submerged roots and catch passing prey by surprise. It hunts insects that fall in the water, as well as hatchlings and other small fish.

In captivity, the freshwater angelfish does not seem to be very picky about the quality of its food, but it is important to have a varied diet. It will eat any kind of fish food—flakes or pellets—but what it loves most is live or frozen food (brine shrimp, scuds, chironomids, etc.) available on the fishkeeping market.

Predators

Freshwater angelfish are prey to birds and fish. Their large, delicate fins sometimes suffer from necrosis or are torn off by other fish (even smaller ones).

Habitat

Freshwater angelfish is native to the tropical rainforest of the upper Amazon (Peru and Brazil), the Amapá region (Brazil) and the Guianas. It prefers an environment cluttered with submerged branches and roots with a weak current. Its elongated fins and vertical markings are adaptations that help it blend into its surroundings.

Ecology, behaviour

Many human activities are harmful to this species, including dumping toxic waste (from the mining and forestry industries), fishing and collecting for the fishkeeping market.

Like all fish, the angelfish is sensitive to water quality; it needs water that is clean and pollution free.

Living in groups of four to six individuals, angelfish are highly territorial. Freshwater angelfish form pairs when they reach adulthood; however, the belief that angelfish are monogamous is not entirely true, as they are occasionally observed mating with other partners. It is important to avoid keeping a pair of angelfish in too small a volume of water (aquarium of less than 100 litres), as this will stunt their growth and encourage aggressive behaviour.

While freshwater angelfish are less aggressive than other cichlidae, they should not be made to share a habitat with small fish (less than 4 cm). It is also important to remember that it is better to avoid putting them in the same space as other aggressive fish like cichlidae because their fine fins are vulnerable to biting and nibling.

In addition to being spectacularly beautiful, angelfish love playing with their own kind (especially juveniles) and will make a beeline for the person who feeds them.

French name

Scalaire

Scientific name

Pterophyllum scalare

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Osteichthyes (bony fish)

Order

Perciformes

Family

Cichlidae

Size

Length: 15 cm Height: Up to 20 cm

Life span

7-8 years in the wild. Up to 10 years in captivity.

Status

Common species. Exploited commercially for fishkeeping.

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