Freshwater Angelfish

Looks how to spot one

Scaled cichlid with a very flat, disc-shaped body and long triangular fins

A tall, laterally flattened fish with a rounded body and long, swept-back dorsal and anal fins that give it a triangular or arrowhead outline, plus thin trailing pelvic fins. Wild-type fish are silvery with dark vertical bars that help them blend in among upright stems and roots. Captive breeding has produced many colour and fin forms, including veil-finned strains.43

Personality what they are like

A generally calm community cichlid that glides slowly through the water. Young fish often move around together, while adults form settled pairs and can become protective of a chosen spot, so an occasional squabble among angelfish is normal. They are natural predators of tiny fish, so very small tankmates may be seen as food.34

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Moderate. Angelfish prefer calm water with tall plants, roots or other vertical cover, and need enough tank height for their long fins.431

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Tropical fish: keep water around 24 to 30 C, pH roughly 6.0 to 7.4 (FishBase allows up to 8.0) and soft to moderately hard water (about 0 to 15 dGH). Use steady filtration with gentle flow and regular partial water changes to keep conditions stable.312

Home where they are happiest

A tall aquarium of at least about 100 x 40 x 50 cm (around 200 litres) for a small group, furnished with broad-leaved plants, driftwood or other upright decor that mimics their densely vegetated, flooded home waters. Flat vertical surfaces such as slate or large leaves double as spawning sites.312

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Omnivorous with a taste for small live foods. In the wild they eat insects, worms, small crustaceans and fish fry. In the aquarium, feed a quality flake or pellet and add frozen, freeze-dried or live foods such as bloodworm and brine shrimp.23

Company who they like around

Best kept in a small group or as a bonded pair. Good companions are peaceful fish too large to fit in an angelfish's mouth; small species such as tiny tetras may be eaten. Pairs are monogamous and share parenting duties.34

The story where it all began

The species was described scientifically in 1823 from Amazonian specimens. It lives in swampy, flooded areas thick with vegetation, where its flat shape and vertical stripes let it slip unseen between stems and roots. Angelfish were first brought into Europe in 1909, when a Hamburg importer shipped them to Germany. Aquarists in the United States were breeding them by the late 1920s and early 1930s, and decades of captive breeding since then have produced a long list of colour, pattern and long-fin strains. Today almost all angelfish in the hobby are captive bred, and in 2022 the species' genome was sequenced and assembled.2413

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List

Assessed as Least Concern (2020)1

Scientific description

Described by Schultze in Lichtenstein, 1823; family Cichlidae2