Freshwater Angelfishエンゼルフィッシュ

Pterophyllum scalareLC— Least Concern

The freshwater angelfish is a tall, laterally flattened cichlid native to slow-moving rivers and flooded forests of the Amazon Basin, instantly recognizable by its long trailing fins. It is the most widely kept angelfish species in the aquarium trade, forms monogamous breeding pairs that guard their eggs together, and has even had its full genome sequenced.

Freshwater Angelfish (reference photo)
Photo: mendel / CC BY-SA 1.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification
Cichliformes / Cichlidae Source
Distribution
Native to the Amazon Basin of Peru, Colombia, and Brazil, inhabiting swamps and flooded areas with dense vegetation along slow-moving rivers. Source

Did You Know?

  • During spawning, a pair lays around 1,000 small eggs arranged in a circle on a leaf or piece of driftwood, and both parents guard the eggs and fry, though they sometimes end up eating their own young. Source
  • It is the species of angelfish most frequently found in the aquarium trade, and in 2022 its genome was sequenced and assembled by high school student Indeever Madireddy. Source

Where to See This Species

1 facilities · 0 individuals

Osaka Aquarium KaiyukanOsakaOpened in 1990

「エクアドル熱帯雨林」水槽で展示(海遊館公式生きもの図鑑に掲載) Source

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

Pterophyllum scalareはIUCNでLCとされています。

Habitat

南米アマゾン川流域の植物が多い緩やかな淡水域。

Threats

Conservation & Breeding Efforts

Sources

en.wikipedia.org

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FAQ

Why does the freshwater angelfish have such a distinctive shape?
Its body is strongly compressed laterally and paired with long, trailing dorsal and anal fins, an adaptation that lets it slip vertically between plant stems in its native flooded forest habitat. Source
How do freshwater angelfish care for their eggs?
A breeding pair lays around 1,000 eggs arranged in a circle on a leaf or piece of driftwood, and both parents take turns guarding the eggs and the fry after they hatch. Source

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org