Sexual differences in angelfish. The difference between a male and female angelfish

Instructions

One and one hundred percent the right way There is no sex determination for fish. It all depends on the specific breed and age. If you are a beginner aquarist, purchase a reference book with an accurate indication of the breeds and their sexual characteristics. Do not buy fish that are too young - the sex of some fry is difficult to determine even for specialists.

Most often, the secret of gender is revealed by the anal fin located in the lower part of the abdomen. In some breeds, for example, or, the sex is very easily recognized by the shape of the anal fin. In females it has a rounded or soft triangular shape, in males it is pointed or tube-like. With age, the “fins” become more noticeable.

Estimate the size of the fish. Adult females of barbs, guppies, and catfish are larger, while males are significantly smaller. Sexual differences are most clearly visible in viviparous fish - females look much more voluminous, especially in the abdominal area. Males have a more streamlined shape and a narrow body.

Pay attention to the intensity of the color. In many breeds, males are brighter in color. For example, adult male guppies are easily identified by their brightly colored tail and dorsal fins. Pearl gourami during puberty, it differs from females in having a bright orange abdomen. However, much depends on color variations within the breed. For example, or can have different shades regardless of gender and a pale colored male can easily be confused with a female.

It is easiest to identify adult fish that have already passed through. Then even the most difficult to identify breeds show external sexual differences. For example, male angelfish acquire a characteristic pronounced profile with a steep forehead. Males acquire white tubercles on their gills, and their pectorals are covered with small serrations.

Helpful advice

If you are interested in breeding fish, choose individuals with the most pronounced sexual characteristics. They are more active during the spawning period and produce more viable offspring.

Distinguish fish It’s not easy based on gender. This can only be done visually, but even in this case, the result may be unreliable. It’s much easier to ask the seller right away when purchasing. But even the person selling fish does not always know who is male and who is female. Try to produce comparative analysis individuals by their appearance.

Instructions

There is another more accurate method for determining gender angelfish. It will also require a close inspection of your fish. The essence of sex determination is that the frontal part of males is wider and more convex, and has the shape of a steep tubercle. In the female, on the contrary, it has a concave shape. In general, males are always larger than females.

Another distinctive feature of the male sex is the presence of a long dorsal fin. The female can be recognized by the presence of a convex abdomen and a small tubercle, which is located next to the genital opening.

note

Angelfish are schooling fish and do not tolerate loneliness very well. There is an opinion that, once meeting, a male and a female remain faithful to each other for the rest of their lives.

Helpful advice

If you plan to breed angelfish in home aquarium, then it is advisable to immediately purchase a school of fish of about 20 pieces.

Make sure your fish grow in a comfortable and clean environment. The aquarium must have big shape and installed filter. Add as much aquatic vegetation to your artificial pond as possible. Feed your angelfish with selected food High Quality.

Sources:

• Angels... in an aquarium.

The ancestors of the angelfish, or angelfish as it is also called, came to aquariums from slow-flowing reservoirs of the Amazon. Having a calm, peaceful disposition, this fish gets along in a community aquarium with almost all other types of non-aggressive fish and has earned the popularity of many aquarists. But how can one distinguish a female from a male in angelfish?

Instructions

If one of the purposes of keeping angelfish is their fish, then you should know that sexual maturity in these fish occurs on average at the age of seven months to one year. Kept in a school of 6-10 fish, they choose their own partners and break into pairs for reproduction. It is not difficult even for an inexperienced aquarist to identify a formed pair - these begin to stand apart from the general mass and begin to look for an angle suitable for laying eggs.

Sources:

• male swordtails

Danio rerio is a wonderful aquarium fish, unpretentious in keeping and completely peaceful. These fish are ideal for beginner aquarists, but many experienced fish keepers prefer to keep them in their aquariums to maintain species diversity. Such a fish is always pleasing to the eye and does not cause any trouble. Before purchasing, a novice fish owner should definitely learn to distinguish males from females.

You will need

• aquarium with fish, keen eye

Instructions

Only adult individuals can be distinguished from each other by gender, since the young are not yet fully formed and are very similar to each other. If there is a gender for you, be sure to purchase only fully formed adults, only in this case you will be able to more or less accurately which of them is male and which is female. Also make sure that all the fish are the same age, as this significantly affects their size. Young females can easily be mistaken for males when compared with older fish.

The most accurate criterion for determining gender Danio is the size. Look at a school of fish and try to compare them with each other. Females are usually larger and have a rounded abdomen. Males, on the other hand, have a slender build and are slightly smaller in size than their female counterparts. This structural feature is associated with the ability to produce eggs and bear fry, which directly depends on the size of the female.

Pay attention to the intensity of the color of the fish. The stripes on the body of females are paler and less noticeable, while zebrafish are usually brightly colored and shimmer very clearly. This coloration is evidence of a good fish. Pregnant females are more clumsy and slow, so they should not stand out in sea thickets or against the background of the bottom.

note

Sometimes it is very difficult to look closely at an individual fish, since zebrafish prefer to chase each other around the aquarium and stay in a school.

Helpful advice

Try to choose fish in natural light and in aquariums that contain soil and live vegetation. It is under such conditions that the difference in color is most noticeable.

Goldfish are a decoration for any aquarium. Some people think that caring for them is very simple, but in fact there are several nuances that require special study. One of these issues is reproduction. How to find out floor this type of aquarium fish?

Instructions

Goldfish reach floor reaches maturity only at two years of age. Before this time, do not try to identify them floor, this is practically impossible. However, there were cases when, with ideal housing and a diet rich in proteins, males matured to floor morning years. These fish do not develop well in small rooms, so the volume of the aquarium should be at least one hundred liters.

Using a magnifying glass, examine the front pairs. In mature males, you can see characteristic notches on them, reminiscent of a saw with small teeth. By this feature one can distinguish floor fish not even during the mating season, but only in floor density of mature individuals.

At first floor mature ones enter the period of courtship and mating games. Males begin to differ very much from females in behavior. They are very active, chasing females throughout the aquarium, vigorously and passionately courting. After watching the mating game, you can easily distinguish floor their pets.

Also, if you carefully examine the fish’s head through a magnifying glass, you will notice another main sign of a male. White tubercles appear on the head and gill covers during the spawning period. The main thing is not to confuse them with signs of illness. gold fish, in which a partly similar to semolina. Spawning signs appear only during the breeding season.

Video on the topic

One of the most common representatives of viviparous fish is guppies. Nowadays they are often kept in aquariums, but guppies were originally “wild” freshwater fish of the tropics, which received their name in honor of the English priest and scientist Robert John Lemcher Guppy at the end of the 19th century.

Instructions

The length of male guppies is from 1.5 to 4 cm. These are elegant, thin fish with a special organ - the gonopodium (an elongated anal fin). Unlike females, guppies are bright, often with long, motley fins different forms. It is by the tail that you can determine the type of guppy. There are more forms and about ten types of coloring. When you combine your body type, you get over a hundred combinations. Fan-tailed guppies are very popular. Fan-tailed guppies can be trimmed (the tail is like an isosceles triangle) and acute-angled (the angles of the tail triangle are from 30 to 50 degrees). Male guppies can also be veil-tailed (skirt-tailed), lyre-tailed, flag-tailed, shovel-tailed, spear-tailed, needle-tailed, as well as “top sword” and “double sword” types.

note

Guppies live up to four years. If males are kept separately from females, only periodically replanted, this will speed up their growth and preserve beautiful fins (if they are constantly with females, males often fight, competing for their attention).

Helpful advice

In an aquarium, guppies swim everywhere, but more often they stay in top layer water and can even jump out of it, so it is better to close the aquarium. Guppies get along well with other fish. It is better to keep purebred guppies in a large “flock” in an aquarium at least 40 cm in length. The volume of the aquarium is selected at the rate of 1 liter for each male and 2 liters for each female.

It is not always easy for a novice aquarist to navigate such a colorful and incomprehensible world of exotic fish. What to feed, how to properly maintain it, and what to do if the fish get sick or decide to have offspring? Of course, one of the main questions of concern to novice hobbyists is how to distinguish males from females. Let's learn some of the tricks of the trade.

Instructions

Take a close look at your players. In some fish, sexual dimorphism is very clearly expressed, so distinguishing from here is not difficult. However, if you have no idea what exactly distinguishes ladies from gentlemen, external fish, although they will be noticeable to you, they will not give you any information. When breeding guppies, many people think that it is not so easy to distinguish a male from a female. It's a delusion. Take a close look at the fish's anal fin. If it is pointed, it is in front of you, if it is rounded, you are. By this sign, by the way, it is possible to determine the sex of fish even before the onset of puberty, when, apart from the anal fin, males and females are practically no different. When the fish grow up, characteristic feature boys get a beautiful mottled tail and dorsal fin. Females, on the contrary, remain inconspicuous and gray, their caudal fins are much shorter and not so bright.

Note the shape of the anal fin. Not everyone has such a noticeable difference between the sexes. Guppies' relatives, mollies, have neither bright tails nor spots. Both males and females are uniformly black and look alike, almost like two peas in a pod. Observation and a keen eye will help you here. Mollies also differ in their anal fins. In females they are rounded, and in males they have a pronounced peak-shaped shape. Some species of mollies even have an elongated and slightly curved anal fin, so they can always be distinguished from the general crowd by it.

Look at the size of the fish. Often females are slightly larger than males, and in some species of fish this difference is quite noticeable. Of course, you shouldn’t focus on just one size, since pet stores often sell fish from different litters. That is why it is necessary to pay attention to other signs. In neons, for example, the stripe on the female’s abdomen has a slight break, slightly bending in the middle. Males have a completely straight back, and the stripe on their body is parallel to the horizon. If you decide to separate males from females in a flock, also pay attention to their size and the location of the stripes. Females are larger, and the stripes on their abdomen are slightly blurred. Males have a more toned figure and even stripes.

note

Before you go to a pet store or market to buy fish, study specialized literature and acquire at least approximate knowledge about the differences between the sexes. Unfortunately, sellers often deceive gullible buyers by selling them fish of the same sex.

Helpful advice

In viviparous fish, females already in the store may have an expanded abdomen, by which they can be very easily distinguished from males.

Guppy- small aquarium fish. They are very popular among aquarists because of their bright colors and unpretentious conditions. Define floor Guppy is not at all difficult.

You will need

• -live aquarium fish;
• - attention and logic.

Instructions

Guppies are viviparous, unpretentious and very. Sorting can begin as early as two weeks. This is best done after feeding. At two weeks of age, female guppies become noticeably dark on the abdomen near the anal fin. True, not all individuals exhibit it at the same time, so sorting is carried out repeatedly. In light-colored rocks, the spot is light, not dark, and does not have a silvery tint. In males it is absent; the abdomen has a uniform silvery tint.

Female guppies are much larger than males, growing up to 5-6, and sometimes up to 7 cm. The body length of males does not exceed 3-4 cm. The difference in size is one of the main, most noticeable differences that make it possible to determine the sex of the fish.

Female guppies are usually greenish or purple in color and have a small caudal fin. Males are very beautiful, have bright, attractive colors. Multi-colored spots, strokes, patterns on their body shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow. The tail and fins are long, bushy and, depending on the breed, have a variety of shapes. With good feeding, the color becomes noticeable already at one and a half to two months.

The male guppy has an elongated, laterally flattened body. The female's body is also elongated with a more flattened rear part. Determining the sex of a fish based on this characteristic is difficult, especially if you lack experience.

The anal fin of male and female guppies is different. In females it is round in shape. In males it is elongated and pointed. Later, at one and a half to two months, it begins to curl. The genopodia is formed. True, not all individuals exhibit this sign at the same time. Sometimes it is possible to reliably determine gender only after 3 –

Angelfish are “winged leaves”, this is how the name of the genus Pterophyllum (Pterophyllum) is literally translated from Latin language, are a good example of caring for offspring. Reproduction of angelfish in a community aquarium occurs quite often, but in order to obtain full-fledged juveniles in sufficient quantities, aquarists often take care of the subsequent development of eggs. And the article will contain several examples with a detailed description of how this happens.

breeding angelfish at home.

Subtleties of breeding fish of the genus Pterophyllum

Much loved by aquarists, they begin to reproduce when they reach the age of ten to twelve months.

According to experts and the results of observations by amateur aquarists, angelfish are monogamous: once a pair of fish is formed, they do not separate (only the death of one of the partners breaks the pair).

Male and female angelfish: differences

• The question of how to distinguish a female from a male angelfish is always important. These differences appear only after the fish reach puberty, that is, closer to the age of one year. It is usually not difficult for aquarists to acquire the skill of distinguishing angelfish by gender:
• Like all cichlids, the male's forehead is steeper and has a small fatty bump; the female's forehead has a barely noticeable concavity.
• The pelvic fin of the male has a noticeable bifurcation in its lower part; in females this fin is even.
• Typically, adult males are larger than females of their age.

The shape of the genital papilla (the outgrowth for the excretion of reproductive products, located behind the anus in front of the anal fin) is different: in males it is narrow and sharp, in females it is thick and bluntly “cut off”.

Look at the photo on how to distinguish a female from a male angelfish.

The described differences are noticeable during the spawning period and persist after it. Sometimes aquarists, paying attention to the behavior of angelfish, notice the formation of pairs that swim together. The male swims after the female and drives her into the corner of the aquarium. Comparing appearance

two fish, you can determine the sex of the angelfish.

Spawning angelfish requires certain preparation and knowledge. An important point is fattening of producers before spawning: it is recommended to feed them with juveniles of small aquarium fish(platecilia, swordtails, and others). Such recommendations are found in manuals (for example, in the encyclopedia “Animals in the House”, 1994).

Angelfish spawn in an aquarium (if they are not kept together with other fish species) or in a special hygienic spawning tank. The substrate is placed here (a large oval “sheet” of plexiglass Green colour or a thin piece of stainless steel. This substrate is installed obliquely (angle 45 degrees) 15-20 centimeters from the surface of the water).

Spawning process

After placing the producers in a prepared spawning tank and stimulating spawning, you can observe the entire process of how angelfish reproduce. Angelfish spawning is stimulated by a gradual increase in the water temperature in the spawning area to 28 - 30 degrees. At the same time, they reduce the acidity and hardness of water.

The female prepares a “leaf” for laying eggs, clearing it of debris. Angelfish eggs are laid by the female in rows of about 1000 pieces, and the male immediately fertilizes them. Parents carefully monitor the development of eggs and remove dead eggs. It happens that for some unknown reason they do not do this. Then the angelfish eggs on the “leaf” are carefully transferred to another incubator with similar conditions. The “leaf” is immersed obliquely in water to a depth of about 8 centimeters.

Further care of eggs and fry by the aquarist

Sometimes breeding angelfish at home requires additional actions on the part of the aquarist:

• After moving the substrate with eggs into the additional spawning tank, it is necessary to install several sprayers around (usually 3-4).
• Trypaflavin is added to the water (0.06 g per 10 liters of water) to prevent the development of pathogenic microorganisms in aquarium water.

Angelfish eggs are incubated for two days, and the larvae hatch. Using long threads, the larvae remain glued to the leaf, hang for about another week and then begin to actively swim and feed on their own. For the first three days they are fed rotifers or “live dust”, then Artemia nauplii are added. The fry grow quickly. After a month, you can lower the water temperature to 25 degrees. Soon, young angelfish are transferred to a common aquarium, where they continue their development until maturity.

Variety of angelfish breeding experiences

Breeding angelfish at home does not always work the first time. Many aquarists have gone through setbacks and mistakes before they were able to raise fry to adulthood. beautiful fish. By carefully studying the experience of others, you can understand what consistent actions need to be taken in order for scalar breeding to be successful. There are different ways.

The experience of the first aquarist

In the first experiment, breeding angelfish in a community aquarium is not practiced. An aquarium with a volume of 150 liters is prepared in advance: there are no decorations, inside there are only a heater, filter sponges and two small pieces of PVC pipe (2 inches). The water temperature is maintained close to 27 degrees, neutral pH (7) and hardness – 2.

The first stage of preparation for spawning

“Minor” angelfish in the amount of six individuals are transplanted into the aquarium prepared in this way. At this time, bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp, flakes, ground beef heart and white worms (only occasionally) are offered as food.

Having reached sexual maturity, the fish begin to search for a mate. At this time, you need to be very careful and observe the behavior of the angelfish. The resulting pairs are clearly visible: they stay close, “be nice” to each other, and drive other fish away from the chosen territory. Such a couple must be placed in a smaller aquarium (about 80 liters with the parameters indicated above) so that they remain alone.

The second stage of preparation for spawning

In this spawning area you will watch how angelfish reproduce. Since the angelfish will directly spawn here, it is necessary to place a suitable substrate for attachment of the laid eggs. These can be pieces of PVC pipes or clay pots.

To stimulate the maturation of reproductive products, it is recommended:

• slowly increase the water in the spawning tank to 28 degrees;
• increase food ration manufacturers.

After approximately one week (possibly after 5 days), it is already possible to identify the female by her enlarged belly. A few more days will pass, and the future parents will develop genital papillae. Now you can clearly see how to distinguish a female from a male angelfish. The structural features of the papillae of males and females were discussed above.

Observations of egg laying

The aquarist needs to carefully observe how angelfish reproduce, but nothing more: as soon as the process of laying eggs begins, it is not recommended to climb into the aquarium and disturb the fish.

It is necessary to remember which of the fish laid eggs. It is also important to ensure that the male fertilizes her. In two days you will find out if your couple is fertile. Sometimes the eggs turn white and die. This means that fertilization has not occurred. Successful spawning of a pair may not happen on the first try.

Natural egg incubation

Breeding angelfish using the described technology is recommended by natural incubation of eggs. The parents do not move away after spawning. They care for the eggs, making fanning movements with their fins, ensuring the constant presence of fresh water near the eggs. When the larvae hatch from the eggs, the parents help them free themselves from the egg shell.

After the larvae hatch from the eggs, the courtship process continues. About 10 days will pass, and the fry will swim freely around the aquarium. At this time, it is recommended to start feeding them brine shrimp and microworms.

Let the parents stay with their babies for a few more days and then transfer them to another aquarium. From this point on, adult angelfish are ready for the next breeding cycle. When using the above technology, female angelfish will become pregnant regularly at intervals of 10-20 days.

Remember two important points:

• The death of fry occurs even in exceptional favorable conditions(waste approximately 20 percent).
• It is not recommended to frequently create conditions for spawning of adult angelfish. Give them a “vacation” between spawnings.

Experience of a second aquarist

You can find a lot of different information about how angelfish reproduce, because there is no uniform method for breeding these wonderful fish. Let's get acquainted with the experience of another aquarist who practices breeding angelfish in a community aquarium. After considering and analyzing different methods, you will choose the one that is most convenient for you.

How does spawning occur in a community aquarium?

In one aquarium live black and striped angelfish (seven individuals in total), sacbranch catfish and coffee mastacembel. Water – 23-26 degrees, acidity and hardness have never been measured. Under these conditions, aquatic plants grow very well and all the fish are healthy.

Once a week, angelfish randomly form pairs (not necessarily both black or both striped). How to distinguish a female from a male angelfish becomes clear after the formation of a pair.

Before spawning, the pair prepares a place for laying eggs: the surface of the selected substrate is cleared of debris. This territory is protected from encroachment by other fish: everyone who approaches this place is driven away.

Spawning occurs like this: the female presses her abdomen tightly against the surface of a sheet or glass. She begins to move upward and leaves an even row of transparent eggs behind her. The male swims next, fertilizing the eggs. This process can take about two hours.

For a pair of angelfish in a common aquarium, this is a very difficult period, because you have to make sure that your neighbors in the aquarium do not feast on their eggs, constantly driving them away. They can “hit” the sacbranch catfish right on the head, letting it know to move away from the laying site.

Mastacembel seems to be “afraid” to approach close to the clutch, but will not miss the opportunity to pick up a fallen egg. When spawning is completed, the parents do not leave their clutch and look after it very responsibly: fanning it with their fins and removing unfertilized (whitened) eggs.

It is not possible to produce offspring in a community aquarium: neighbors end up eating some of the eggs, larvae or fry. And if the lights in the aquarium suddenly go out, then even the parents themselves can enjoy their own caviar.

• transfer the substrate with the laid eggs to another aquarium and create conditions for hatching of the larvae (make weak aeration and add methylene blue;
• The formed pair of angelfish should be immediately placed in a spawning tank, where the parents, after spawning and fertilization, themselves take care of the eggs, and then the fry.

In our opinion, angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) are one of the most beautiful aquarium fish.
These South American cichlids simply fascinate with their elegance and the beauty of their sailing fins, which, like the wings of an angel, support them in measured weightlessness. It’s not for nothing that these fish are called Angels abroad.
Their mannerisms and kinship with elite discus fish give them an aristocratic sheen that is unique to them.

Aquarists have known these aquarium fish for more than 100 years, and during this time they have earned recognition and respect. In addition to the listed advantages, angelfish have a well-developed intellect, are unpretentious in maintenance and are caring parents.

Latin name: Pterophyllum scalare.
Squad, family: Perciformes, cichlids, cichlids (Cichlidae).
Comfortable water temperature: 22-27° C.
"Acidity" Ph: 6-7,5.
Hardness dH: up to 10°.
Aggressiveness: 30% are non-aggressive.
Content complexity: light.

Scalar compatibility: Although angelfish are cichlids, they are not aggressive.

Even small, peaceful fish and even livebearers are favorably treated. As neighbors we can recommend: red swordtails (look great with black angelfish), thornets and other tetras, zebrafish, all small catfish, gouramis and laliuses, pelviki and apistogram parrots, and other non-aggressive cichlids.

Not compatible with: guppies (they will be eaten sooner or later at night), goldfish (they are pigs, they have different feeding regimes, nervous goldfish and angelfish drive them and pluck them), discus fish, although they are relatives, are not the best neighbors in our opinion - discus fish are expensive, love warm water, they grow into fish big size, capricious. In general, we are in favor of keeping discus fish separately in a species aquarium. See article - compatibility of aquarium fish.
How long do they live: The angelfish is a long-lived aquarium fish and can live more than 10 years. You can find out how long other fish live

Minimum aquarium volume for angelfish

From 100 l., in such an aquarium you can plant one, maximum two angelfish. At good conditions they grow into fish of impressive size, and given their wide fins, it is better to buy an aquarium of 250 liters or more for them. See how many fish you can keep in X liters of aquarium (at the bottom of the article there are links to aquariums of all sizes).

Requirements for the care and conditions of keeping angelfish

- angelfish definitely need aeration and filtration, weekly replacement of up to 1/4 volume aquarium water.
- it is not necessary to cover the aquarium, the fish are not very mobile and do not jump out of the reservoir.
- lighting should be moderate. The aquarium is equipped with shaded areas, which is achieved with the help of aquarium vegetation. Fish do not like bright light and are shy about turning it on. It is recommended to use Vallisneria and other long-stemmed plants as aquarium plants for angelfish. Creating thickets of such plants imitates natural natural environment habitat of the angelfish.
- decoration of the aquarium, at your discretion: stones, grottoes, driftwood and other decorations. The aquarium must have an open space for swimming. Angelfish do not need shelter.

Feeding and diet of angelfish

The fish are omnivorous and absolutely unpretentious when it comes to food. They happily eat dry, live food and substitutes. Like many aquarium inhabitants, angelfish love live food: bloodworms, brine shrimp, brine shrimp, cyclops, daphnia. Angelfish take food from the surface of the water and in its depth; the fish do not hesitate to walk along the bottom, collecting the remains of food.

Angelfish have a peculiarity - they can refuse food for up to 2 weeks. So if your angelfish doesn’t eat, there’s nothing wrong with that.

Feeding aquarium fish must be correct: balanced, varied. This fundamental rule is the key to the successful keeping of any fish, be it guppies or astronotuses. The article talks about this in detail, it outlines the basic principles of the diet and feeding regime for fish.

In this article, we note the most important thing - feeding fish should not be monotonous; the diet should include both dry food and live food. In addition, you need to take into account the gastronomic preferences of a particular fish and, depending on this, include in its diet food either with the highest protein content or, conversely, with plant ingredients.

Popular and popular food for fish, of course, is dry food. For example, food from Tetra, the leader, can be found on aquarium shelves all the time and everywhere. Russian market, in fact, the range of food from this company is amazing. Tetra's "gastronomic arsenal" includes individual food for certain type fish: for goldfish, for cichlids, for loricariids, guppies, labyrinths, arowanas, discus, etc. Tetra has also developed specialized foods, for example, to enhance color, fortified, or for feeding fry. You can find out detailed information about all Tetra feeds on the company’s official website -

It should be noted that when purchasing any dry food, you should pay attention to the date of its manufacture and shelf life, try not to buy food in bulk, and also store the food in a closed state - this will help to avoid the development of pathogenic flora in it.

In nature, angelfish live in the northern part of South America

In reservoirs with dense reed thickets and standing or slowly flowing water. Actually these natural conditions explains their flattened - disc-shaped body shape, which they need to maneuver among the underwater reeds. They live in nature in groups of 10 or more individuals.

Photos of the angelfish biotope taken by Takashi Amano

Description of aquarium fish angelfish

The body is round and very flattened at the sides. It has a strongly elongated back and anal fin, which gives the fish the outline of a crescent. Natural - natural coloring angelfish is silvery with black transverse stripes, however, as a result of successful selection, a variety of color schemes, for example, marbled angelfish, two-color, red, black, zebra angelfish and others. In addition, a veiled form of angelfish has been developed - with even longer fins. Angelfish are large, sprawling fish that can reach up to 15 cm in length, and even more up to 25 cm in height.

History of angelfish

The Latin name Pterophyllum was given to angelfish by the famous Austrian zoologist I.Ya. Heckel in 1840 and it is translated as “pteron” - feather and “phyllon” leaf, and together “winged leaf”.

Before Heckel gave the name Pterophyllum, this fish had already been described several times in 1823. Martin Heinrich Karl Liechtenstein, who gave it the name Zeus scalaris. And in 1931, the fish was described by Baron Georges Leopold Frederic Bagobert Cuvier. He named it Platax scalaris. The angelfish also had a market name “Blattfische”, translated as leaf fish. This name was given by G.B. Sagratski, who was the first to bring these fish from the Rio Negro to Germany.

Actually, under this name they first found themselves in Europe, but this name subsequently did not take root. Abroad, the angelfish is called “Angelfishes” or simply “Angel”, in Germany “Segelflosser”, which translates as sail.
Some sources say that angelfish first appeared in Europe in 1909, but this is not so. Since this year they have been “delivered”, but alas, they are dead. Only in October 1911 was it possible to bring live scalars. And only from this moment the “aquarium-scalar boom” began in Europe: descriptions, disputes, articles in magazines, breeding attempts, etc.

First successful breeding of angelfish in artificial conditions happened in 1914 with an aquarist from Hamburg - I. Kvankaru. His success was repeated only a year later by US aquarist W.L. Polinn. It is worth noting that at that time the secret of reproduction was kept in the strictest confidence - the angelfish was very valuable. However, everything secret will ever become apparent. Since 1920, breeding of angelfish has become widespread.
In Russia, angelfish first reproduced in 1928. This happened to our aquarist Mr. A. Smironov - in the evening he went to the theater, and at home in his aquarium his heating pad caught fire. The water temperature in the aquarium rose to 32°C and the angelfish began to spawn on their own. As a note of humor, I would like to say that with the Russians everything is as always - at random and anyhow.
But aquarists did not stop at the successful artificial propagation of angelfish. The second half of the twentieth century was marked by relentless breeding work on angelfish. In 1956, the veiled angelfish was bred. In 1957, the spectacular black angelfish was introduced into the United States. In 1969, again by the American C. Asch, a marble angelfish was obtained.

Types and breeds of angelfish

So, to understand the scale of the breeding work, we present only an incomplete list of other bred forms of angelfish: half-black, smoky, albino, red-smoky, red, chocolate, phantom, two-spotted phantom, blue, white, zebra, lace zebra, cobra, leopard, marbled red-gold, red-half-black, pearl, gold-pearl, red-pearl and others.
Latest achievements are scaleless and diamond angelfish. Therefore, if we talk about the types of scalars, there are simply countless of them.

Here is a photo of some angelfish - Pterophyllum scalare

But, it is necessary to distinguish between species and breeds of angelfish
The above angelfish are breeds of the same species, Pterophyllum scalare. But there are also other types of scalar - the main ones are:
Pterophyllum altum, Pterophyllum leopoldi (formerly Pterophyllum dumerilli), Pterophyllum eimekei.

Here is a photo of Pterophyllum leopoldi (as a separate species of angelfish)

and here is a photo of Pterophyllum altum (as a separate species of angelfish)


photo of Pterophyllum eimekei (as a separate species of angelfish)

Contents of angelfish

Taking into account the above-mentioned selection experiments, over a hundred years, angelfish have adapted so much to aquarium conditions that their content does not pose any problems. Perhaps the main thing prerequisite Their content is a large and tall aquarium. As previously mentioned, the minimum volume of an aquarium for angelfish should be 100 liters, but its height should be at least 45 centimeters. At the same time, the thickness of the aquarium is absolutely not important for the fish; on the contrary, they are accustomed to living in narrow channels, thickets and crevices. From experience, we will say that angelfish feel great in densely planted long-stemmed vegetation, in which they feel at home - in South America.
Optimal temperature regime water for angelfish ranges from 22-27°C. However, these fish are distinguished by enviable frost resistance up to 16°C and endurance in heat up to 35°C.

They are unpretentious to other water parameters and can exist normally in both very soft and fairly hard water. Optimal dH: up to 10°, Ph: 6-7.5.
Angelfish love clean water, therefore, aeration and filtration in the aquarium is mandatory. Do you need to change the aquarium water with fresh water weekly? parts.
Angelfish are very hierarchical fish. It is best to keep them in a flock, in which their own ranking will be established - large and strong pairs will dominate, and weaker ones will receive blows. However, such intraspecific aggression is not very scary, especially if the aquarium is zoned. For example, my aquarium plants and decor are planted and arranged in such a way that the aquarium can be roughly divided into four “adjacent rooms”. This method helps to avoid excessive aggression and oppression of the weak.

Breeding, reproduction and sexual characteristics of angelfish

Sexual differences between male and female angelfish are weakly expressed. They can only be noticed when the fish become sexually mature at 9-12 months of age. Until this moment, when purchasing young specimens at a pet store, no one will tell you which one you are getting. When buying juvenile angelfish, it is recommended to take two large individuals, most likely they are males, and two small angelfish, most likely these will be girls.
Determining the sex of angelfish requires experience and practice. An experienced aquarist will be able to distinguish a male from a female in no time, but a beginner will have a hard time at first. To do this, you need to watch your angelfish.
Below is a list of typical sex differences between male and female angelfish. And of course, photos!

The first sign is behavior. Boys act like boys, girls act like girls. This is especially noticeable when the scalars are divided into pairs. In a pair you can immediately see who is the male and who is the female.
The second sign is the structure of the body. Male angelfish have 100% hallmark- this is a fatty bump on the forehead - a hump. Females do not have it. The forehead of the male is convex, while that of the female is sunken. In addition, the body of male angelfish is more powerful, their back fin is longer and stripes are visible on it (on the back).
The third sign appears during the spawning period. The male has a narrow and sharp vas deferens, but the female angelfish develops a wide and short ovipositor.

Here's a nice photo of a male and female angelfish

(male on the left and female on the right).

Having received a review of this article from a fish breeding expert Vitaly Chernyavsky , I consider it necessary to supplement this part of the article with his answer, here it is:
“I looked at the article about angelfish. As for the signs of differences between males and females, that’s not entirely true.
1) Behavior is not a criterion. Quite often, 2 females without a male completely even (and in turns) imitate the sexual behavior of the male. Only if you look closely, you can see that the “male” and the female will then switch places - and eggs (naturally unfertilized) will be laid by BOTH fish.
2) There are males without a forehead and females with a forehead.
3) The only clear criterion for sexual differences in adult fish is line of the back and abdomen. In a male: the back line and dorsal fin form an ANGLE, and the abdomen and anal fin form an almost STRAIGHT line. But in the female it’s the other way around: the back line and dorsal fin are almost a STRAIGHT line, and the abdomen and anal fin are almost a right ANGLE.”

Taking into account the expert’s opinion, I also add this drawing, which will help determine the gender of the angelfish based on the angle of its fins.

!!!PAYING ATTENTION!!!
The fact is that this drawing of an angelfish is distributed everywhere on the Internet with false information - the male and female are confused. This drawing is taken from Ilyin's book " Aquarium fish farming". So there the fish were CONFUSED by the artist.
Well, on the Internet, those who create this picture on their websites... do not themselves decide where the female is and where the male is, thereby misleading everyone.
!!!Everything is correct in this picture!!!

With good and comfortable content angelfish, spawning happens right in the common aquarium. The stimulus for spawning is replacing the aquarium water with fresh water and increasing the temperature by 2-4 degrees. Very important role The masonry substrate plays a role in this process. Angelfish often prefer to lay their eggs on a broad-leaved plant, but they may also like other places: a filter tube, glass, the wall of a grotto, etc.
The place chosen by the producers is carefully cleaned of all dirt, and then the spawning itself follows. At a time, a female can lay about 500 eggs, a large one and even more up to 1000.

Photo of angelfish caviar

The incubation period of the eggs is 2 days; during this period, the parents intensively fan the eggs with their fins and clean them of debris, and remove the whitened, dead eggs. After the larvae hatch from the eggs, the parents transfer them in their mouths to another leaf. This is done for greater cleanliness and to eliminate the possibility of catching an infection from the rotting shell of the caviar.

Photo of angelfish larvae

Over the next 7 days, the larvae, under the watchful supervision of their parents, hang on the leaf. When the larvae run out nutrients From the yolk sac they develop into fry. From this time they should start feeding.
Starter food for juvenile angelfish should be of high quality, live and well washed. I can recommend nauplii, nematodes. It is not advisable, but you can feed the fry with any ground dry food (with such feeding, the number of dead fry will increase). It is also recommended to clean the spawning aquarium from food debris and other dirt twice a day.

Photo of fry, juvenile angelfish

The above process is a reference example of angelfish reproduction.

Often, due to the proximity to other fish in a common aquarium, the breeders are stressed, and so are the juveniles. This of course does not lead to anything good. There have even been cases where parents, stressed by their neighbors, ate their offspring. In addition, due to the fact that in industrial breeding of angelfish, the method of spawning is used, it is now difficult to find a conscientious pair of breeders who would be able to produce offspring on their own. This is considered a miracle.
Taking into account the above, usually immediately after spawning, the angelfish eggs, with the leaf on which they are located, are transplanted into another aquarium with a volume of 10-20 liters. In this case, all parental functions are transferred to your shoulders. To protect eggs from fungal diseases, methylene blue is added to the water, whitish dead eggs are regularly removed with a pipette, and a spray bottle with a very weak aerated flow of water is placed under the leaf.

Interesting things about angelfish
Fashionable trend nowadays GloFish The angelfish did not escape either, here is an example of a photo of fluorescent angelfish.

All of the above is just the fruit of observing this type of aquarium fish and collecting various information from owners and breeders. We would like to share with visitors not only information, but also live emotions that allow us to understand the world of aquariums more fully and subtly. Register on https://site/forum/, participate in discussions on the forum, create profile topics where you will talk about your pets in the first person and from the horse’s mouth, describe their habits, behavior and content, and share your successes with us and joys, share experiences and learn from the experiences of others. We are interested in every bit of your experience, every second of your joy, every awareness of a mistake, which makes it possible for your comrades to avoid the same mistake. The more of us there are, the more pure and transparent drops of goodness there are in the life and everyday life of our seven billion society.