Assorted angelfish

2-3 inches The Angelfish Pterophyllum scalare is a graceful, disk-shaped cichlid. Though named for the marine angelfish, it bears little resemblance to these fish or to any other fish in the Cichlid family. The Angelfish is rather diamond-shaped or leaf-like in appearance. Its rounded body is compressed laterally and accented by long, triangular dorsal and anal fins. Its genus name Pterophyllum actually means "winged leaf." This fish is also known as the Silver Angelfish, Freshwater Angelfish, and Common Angelfish. These very attractive fish are popular with both beginning and seasoned aquarists. In the wild, they are usually found with black bars on a silver body, but some natural mutations have no bars, are solid black, or have lace forms. Through captive inbreeding, these naturally occurring variations have become fixed forms for the hobbyist. Angelfish are mostly all captive-bred, and many color and finage varieties are available. Some of the best known varieties include the Silver