3 Incredible Angelfish Facts | Angel Fish Lifespan, Habitat

Angel fish is a freshwater fish. Most people prefer angelfish as a pet but they don’t know these incredible angelfish facts. These fishes are one of the most common pet fish in the world.

Pterophyllum is a small species of freshwater fish in the Cichlidae family known to most aquarists as angelfish. All Pterophyllum species originate from various rivers in tropical South America in the Amazon basin, Orinoco basin and Giana Shield.

Angelfish Scientific Classification:

Common Angelfish Facts:

There are so many common angelfish facts on the Internet. But we discussed these angelfish facts very shortly.

Main prey: sponges, algae

Group Behavior: Social

Fun fact: 95% of angelfish eat sponges

Estimated population size: Unknown

The biggest threat: water pollution

Most distinctive feature: Brightly colored scales

Gestation period: 1-3 days

Water Type: Salt

Optimum pH level: 6.5 – 7.2

Residence: Prabaldwip

Predators: Large fish, barracudas, sharks

Diet: Omnivorous

Favorite Food: Fish

Type: Perciformes

Common Name: Angelfish

Number of species: 90 species

Species: There are 70 different species!

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Physical Characteristics of Angelfish:

Color: Yellow, Blue, Black, White, Green

Skin Type: Scaly

Lifespan: Up to 15 years

Weight: Up to 2 lbs

Length: 8 to 12 inches

Angelfish are known for their brightly colored scales. There are 90 different species of marine angelfish. This omnivorous fish lives in the Indian, Atlantic and western Pacific oceans. They swim and play in and out of coral reefs.

3 Incredible Angelfish Facts!

Angel fish has many interesting and common facts but we are discuss about the main incredible Angelfish Facts.

Color Change: 

The most interesting fact about this fish is that it changes color as it ages. For example, a young angelfish’s black stripes may fade to yellow as it ages. Health, nutrition and reproductive activity can also cause color changes.

Change of female to male:

Angelfish are known as protogynous hermaphrodites. It means a woman changes to a man at a certain point in her life.

A pancake shape:

An angel fish’s body is flat and thin like a pancake. This allows them to slip through cracks and narrow holes in a coral reef. They can thus escape predators or access algae or other plant life for nutrients.

Classification and Scientific Names of Angelfish:

The scientific name of marine angelfish is Pomacanthidae. The word Pomacanthidae is Greek for ‘thorns.’ It refers to the spiny growths on the body of all angelfish. Spiny growths may be on its head or near the tailfin. It belongs to the family Pomacanthidae and class Actinopterygii.

Angelfish Breed:

• Emperor angelfish
• Queen Angelfish
• French angelfish
• Blue angelfish

There are 90 species of this fish. Their family is divided into 7 clans. Many angelfish live near coral reefs. Many of these coral reefs are located in the Caribbean Sea. 

1: Emperor Angelfish:

This fish is one of the larger species at 15.75 inches long. Adults are easily recognized by their vivid blue and yellow stripes. It feeds on sponges and algae on and around coral reefs.

2: Queen Angelfish:

This fish, sometimes known as the Blue Queen, is another large species measuring 18 inches in length. They are blue and yellow in color. Sponge is the main food of this fish. It also eats jellyfish.

3: French Angelfish:

A French angelfish is black in color with distinctive rings of yellow around the eyes. They lives in the eastern Caribbean on the coral reefs. Like most species, sponges are the main food of this fish.

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Appearance of Angelfish:

Angel fish are red, blue, green, black or yellow in color or combination of these colors. Some marine angelfish have scales with swirling color patterns, others have stripes, and others are mostly solid colors.

They have feathery pectoral fins with black eyes and a small mouth. All angelfish have spines or spiny growths somewhere on their bodies. For example, koi angelfish are only 6 inches long.

The largest species is the gray angelfish. This fish can grow up to 24 inches in length and weigh up to 4 pounds! The fish’s thin, flat body allows it to slide into hard-to-reach places, which may help it escape some of its predators.

Plus, most of these fish feature bright colors so you’d think they’d be easy for predators to spot.

However, they are able to blend in with brightly colored rocks, algae and other features in their coral reef habitat. French angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) and red coral reef swimming.

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Angelfish Lifespan and Breeding:

These fish are born in the winter season. They are polygamous (have multiple partners). Males flap their pectoral fins to attract females.

Larvae live on algae and plankton as they develop into adult fish. Although the larvae are clean, they are vulnerable to being eaten by small or large fish that pass by.

This is why angelfish have so many eggs. Thus, at least some are likely to survive into adulthood.

Mothers and fathers do not bond with their young after hatching as eggs. An angelfish has a lifespan of up to 15 years.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions):

SOURCES:

WikiPedia

Britannica