Freshwater Angelfish Pterophyllum scalare

Freshwater Angelfish are native to rivers the Amazon Basin, the Orinoco and Guyana Shield. The species shown here, P. scalare, usually called just the Freshwater Angelfish, is native to the Amazon Basin and has the largest range of the three known species.

Angelfish are unusually-shaped for cichlids, being laterally thin, large discs with long fins making a triangular shape and with trailing, ribbonlike pelvic fins. Most are striped black to give camouflage in river vegetation.

Some are naturally without stripes. The black Angelfish above was bred in aquaculture. They form monogamous pairs for breeding.

The Rio Nannay Angelfish, above, is the same species, from the Rio Nannay region.