Angelfish (Perciformes)
Angelfish, (scientific name: Pterophyllum scalare), also known as swallow fish, angel fish, small angelfish, small fin sailfish, etc., lidds, angelfish genus, native to Guyana, Brazil in South America.
The dorsal and fins of angelfish are very long and large, straight like spinnakers, so they are called small fin sailfish. Watching the angelfish swim from the side, like a swallow soaring, so the angelfish is also called a swallowfish.
The body of the angelfish is 12–15 cm long and 15–20 cm tall , and the ventral fins evolve into tentacles as long as tassels , a short tail stalk , and an elongated upper and lower ends. It is divided into long tail, middle tail and short tail, and the pectoral fin is colorless and transparent. Angelfish has a quiet personality, a dashing swimming posture, suitable for polyculture, known as the "queen of tropical fish", suitable for water temperature 26 °C -32 °C.
Chinese scientific name: angelfish
Latin scientific name: Pterophyllum scalare
Nicknames: swallow fish, angel fish, small angelfish, small fin sailfish
Realm: Animal kingdom
Phylum: Phylum Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrate subphylum
Class: Bony fish
Suborders: Spokefin suborder
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Suborder Perciformes
Family: Cichlidae
Genus: Angel fish genus
Distribution area: Native to South America, Guyana, Brazil
Suitable water temperature: 26 ~ 32 °C
Water quality requirements: PH: 6.5 ~ 7.0 GH: 3 ~ 6
Body length: 12-15 cm
Height: 15-20 cm
Fame: "Tropical Fish Queen"
Average lifespan: about 5 years
Morphological characteristics
Angelfish are 12 to 15 cm long and up to 15 to 20 cm tall, and adults are generally 12 to 18 cm long. The average life expectancy is around 5 years. The head is small and pointed and flattened, diamond-shaped. The dorsal fin and fin are very long and tall like a spinnaker, so it is called a small fin sailfish. Watch the angelfish swim from the side like a swallow soaring. The body of the angelfish is flattened and diamond-shaped, like a swallow flying in the water, so it is also called "swallow fish" in northern China.
Habitat
Suitable water temperature: 26 ~ 32 °C.
Water quality requirements: total hardness (gH): 3 ~ 6dGH, pH (pH): 6.5 ~ 7.0
Angelfish, territorial awareness, there are no special requirements for water quality, it is best not to polyculture with small fish, it is necessary to pay attention to the tiger skin fish of the carp family, this naughty and lively small fish often like to bite the fin and tail fin of the angelfish, although not a fatal attack, but in order to maintain the beautiful appearance of the angelfish, or try to avoid mixing the angelfish with them.
Because the water used in some breeding fisheries in China during the breeding period of angelfish is soft water treated with anion ions by reverse osmosis (that is, water with low mineral content and low total hardness in the water quality environment). Although the water quality after this treatment is extremely helpful for the breeding and hatching of angelfish, the juvenile fish growing in this water quality environment are transported to the high-density feeding tanks of aquarium dealers and the water quality is completely different after long-distance transportation, and the tossing during the period makes the originally delicate juvenile fish more susceptible to disease and death. Therefore, you can't rush to buy new fish, let the water quality, get out of the onset of the cumbersome to the aquarium dealer to deal with, after 7 to 10 days to buy, those fish will survive stably in the aquarium tank, and save the processing trouble.
Distribution range
Native to Pucalpa in Peru, South America, they can be found along the Ucayali River north through the Amazonian waters to the Amazon Delta in eastern Brazil, where they can be found within an area of nearly 5,000 kilometers. In addition , traces of them or other regional varieties have been found in Rionegro and other tributaries.
Breeding methods
Angelfish are oviparous fish, but reproduction is relatively simple. Carefully observe the pairs of successful pairing, if the protrusions near the anus begin to protrude, that is, the vas deferens and spawning tubes begin to sag, which is a sign of pre-spawning, they will choose an area that is considered safe before spawning, jointly defend the territory, and drive away other fish that have inadvertently intruded. After determining the safety of the environment, the female and male will peck the spawning area clean, and then the female will begin to spawn, while the male will fertilize while the female spawns. In general, the entire spawning process will last for several hours, and the number of eggs laid depends on the size of the fish, generally ranging from 400 to 1000.
After spawning, the female and male will jointly guard the eggs, take turns with the pectoral fin to fan the water flow to ensure that the fertilized eggs have sufficient water-soluble oxygen, when some of the eggs are white and moldy due to unfertilized or infected by water mold, they will immediately peck to ensure that other fertilized eggs are not infected, and the whole maintenance process is very touching.
After 36 hours of such non-eating and drinking management, the juvenile fish began to hatch, but still did not swim, attached to the place by absorbing their own yovin for a long period of 4 to 5 days began to swim away from the spawning point, feeding on tiny fleas. In the meantime, the female and male fish are still terrified and take care of them.
Therefore, in order to create a good and safe spawning environment for them, it is best to put the angelfish into another aquarium for breeding when there are signs before spawning, and at the same time use the air pump to assist in providing sufficient water-soluble oxygen, during which it is not easy to be too strong lighting, nor is it easy to make them overly frightened, excessive fright will cause them to swallow all the eggs that have been produced. There is no need to feed bait so as not to pollute the water quality; especially live bait. A type of sword flea mixed in hydra can penetrate the outer wall of a fertilized egg to greatly reduce the hatching rate of fish eggs.
Breeding techniques
Bait
(1) Foraging habits: The feeding water temperature of angelfish is generally controlled between 24 and 28 ° C, in this temperature range, the appetite of angelfish is strong, the growth is rapid, it is not affected by changes in external temperature, and it is always maintained in a relatively stable state.
The bait of angelfish includes fish worms, water earthworms, fibrella, yellow mealworms, small live fish, pellet feed and so on. There are many species of angelfish and vary in size, so the choice of bait for different species of angelfish is also different. For angelfish with a body length of 3 to 12 cm, the bait is mainly turtles and insects, supplemented by water earthworms, red worms and yellow mealworms. For angelfish with a body length of more than 12 cm, the turtle insect is small and has poor palatability, and a slightly larger bait should be selected, mainly including red worms, water earthworms, yellow mealworms, small live fish, etc. Most of the angelfish are mainly animal bait, small species can also be domesticated to pellet feed, and there are few fish based on plant-based bait.
(2) Number of baits: The amount of bait for angelfish should be determined according to the size and number of fish. Family breeding angelfish, generally only need to be baited 1 to 2 times a day, and the amount of bait is suitable for eating within 5 to 10 minutes. When raising angelfish in large quantities, bait is required 2 to 3 times a day; breeding fish during breeding periods are generally baited 3 to 4 times a day. Due to the small size of the angelfish and the limited amount of food, it is advisable to feed 7 to 80% per bait, and increasing the number of baits to promote the rapid growth of the fish.
Most species of angelfish are mainly based on turtles and insects. When the bait is mainly insects, the amount of bait is controlled to be eaten within 10 to 30 minutes. When the bait is mainly water earthworms, its bait is controlled to be eaten within 5 to 10 minutes, baited 2 to 3 times a day, and the water earthworms should be rinsed. When the bait is mainly small fish and shrimp, in principle, more meals should be fed less, and when the angelfish replaces the new bait, the amount of bait should gradually increase from less. Before the angelfish are transported, the bait should be stopped for 1 to 2 days.
water use
(1) Water mixing: Water mixing refers to the partial change of water, which is a simple and effective method often used in the breeding of angelfish.
Before mixing with water, first turn off the power supply of the heater, inflatable pump, circulation filter pump and other electrical appliances in the aquarium, and then wipe the attached moss on the four walls of the aquarium glass or scenery with gauze, wait for the water to stand for 15 minutes, the suspended solids in the water all sink into the bottom of the cylinder, and gently suck out the bottom dirt with a rubber tube. - The amount of water absorbed is about 1/4 to 1/3 of the total water volume. The prepared new water of the same temperature is then slowly injected along the wall of the cylinder.
(2) Water change: water change refers to the replacement of all feeding water, which is the simplest and most effective way to change water quality, but the workload of water change is larger, especially when the aquarium has a small scene, the process is complicated and cumbersome. Before changing the water, cut off the power supply of all the electrical appliances in the aquarium, take out all the fish and scenery, and put away the water. After the aquarium is rinsed, the scenery is all put away and put in new water for later. One
Subspecies differentiation
After years of artificial improvement and hybrid breeding, angelfish has many new species, according to the length of the tail fin, divided into: short tail, medium and long tail, long tail three strains; and according to the fish body markings, color changes and divided into many species, more common in the country are: white angelfish, black angelfish, gray angelfish, marble angelfish, semi-black angelfish, Mandarin duck angelfish, tricolor angelfish, gold-headed angelfish, glass angelfish, diamond angelfish, panda angelfish, red godfish and so on. The Egyptian angelfish, which are more popular abroad, are rare in China.
Red-eyed diamond fairy
Scientific name: pterophyllum scalare
Originating in the Amazon River of South America, it belongs to the cichlid family, with a body length of 10 to 15 cm and a flattened and rounded body. The eyes are bright red, the body color is silvery white, and the fish scales on the surface of the body mutate into beads, which shine under the light and emit a diamond-like charming luster, which is very beautiful. Feeding water temperature 22 ~ 26 °C, breeding water temperature of 27 ~ 28 °C, water quality is weak acid soft water, bait has fish worms, red worms, pellet feed and so on. The broodstock choose their spouses freely, and the relationship between spouses is fixed, one-on-one, and no longer separated. It is a female plate oviparous species, and the female fish lay 300 to 500 eggs each time
Golden-headed immortals
It originates in the Amazon River of South America, Guyana and other places, and belongs to the cichlid family. Body length 10-15 cm, flat disc shape. The dorsal fin is tall and tall, the fin is wide, and the ventral fin is two long silk fins, silvery white, and the golden yellow of the head is named. The feeding water temperature is 22 ~ 26 °C, the water quality is slightly acidic soft water, and the breeding water temperature is 27 ~ 28 °C. The male is large, with a thick bulge on the top of the head, and the female is small and straight on the top of the head. Broodstock choose their spouses freely, the relationship between spouses is fixed, and they belong to the magnetic plate oviparous fish. A 10* 15 cm green plastic plate is selected, fixed on a 10 cm height bracket, and placed in a breeding tank for nesting. Females lay 500 to 600 eggs at a time.
Marble Immortals
Aliases: Great Angelfish, Leaf Fin Angelfish, Angel Fish. Origin is the Amazon River, belonging to the cichlid family. The body is 10 to 15 cm long, and the body is rounded and flattened. The body color is black and white, and the mottled interlacing is staggered. Feeding water temperature of 22 ~ 26 °C, water quality is weak acidic soft water, bait includes fish worms, water earthworms, red worms, pellet feed and so on. Broodstock are sexually mature for 6 months, the male is large, the top of the head is round and thick, and the top of the female is flattened. The propagation water temperature is 27 ~ 28 ° C, and the magnetic plate is oval. Broodstock are freely paired, one-on-one, no longer separated. Females lay 300 to 500 eggs at a time, with an interval of 7 to 10 days.
Tricolor immortals
Also known as the Panda Fairy, the origin of the Amazon
River, belongs to the cichlid family. The body length is 10 to 15 cm, and the body is flat and round. The dorsal fin is high, the fin is wide, and the ventral fin is two long filaments. The body color is silver and white, the body surface has several black spots of different sizes, the top of the head is golden yellow, and the body color is black and white, similar to the pattern of the panda. The feeding water temperature is 22 ~ 26 °C, the breeding water temperature is 27 ~ 28 °C, and the water quality is weakly acidic soft water. The broodstock are sexually mature at 6 months, the male is larger, the top of the head is round and plump, and the top of the female fish is thin and flattened, and the magnetic plate is oval. Females lay 300 to 500 eggs each time, and lay their eggs for the second time about 7 to 10 days.
Zebra fairy
Scientific name: pterophyllum eimekei
Native to the Amazon River in South America, it belongs to the cichlid family. The body is 10 to 15 cm long and the body is disc-shaped and flattened. The tip of the head, the ventral fin are two long filamentary fins,
There are 3 to 5 black vertical transverse bands on the side of the body, which resemble zebra stripes and get its name. The feeding water temperature is 22 ~ 26 °C, the water quality is weak acidic soft water, and the bait is mainly insect fish. The breeding water temperature is 26 ~ 28 °C, the broodstock is mature for 6 months, the male is larger, the top of the head is slightly raised in a circular arc, and the fins are longer. The female has a smooth top of her head and a ovoid plate, laying 300 to 500 eggs each time
Mandarin duck immortals
Also known as the Bust Black Fairy, it is the same size as the Zebra Fairy. The front half of the body is silver or off-white, and the back half of the body is all black, black and white, very beautiful. The water temperature is 22 ~ 26 ° C, and the bait is insect fish, water earthworms, red worms and so on. Water quality prefers weakly acidic soft water. The breeding water temperature is 26 ~ 28 °C, the male fish is larger, the top of the head is slightly raised in a circular arc, the top of the female fish is thin and smooth, the broodstock choose their spouses freely, and the breeding fish with a good team are no longer separated. It is a magnetic plate oviparous species, and the female fish lays 300 to 500 eggs each time.
Black Immortals
Also known as black swallow, native to the Amazon River in South America, belongs to the cichlid family. The body is 10 to 15 cm long and disc-shaped and flattened. The whole body is as dark as ink, the body color is bright, is one of the more famous species of angelfish, feeding water temperature 22 ~ 26 ° C, breeding water temperature 27 ~ 28 ° C, like weak acidic soft water, broodstock sexual maturity of 6 to 8 months, male individual larger, the top of the head is round and thick slightly convex, the top of the female fish is straight, the broodstock pair themselves, the mate relationship is fixed, the female lays 100 ~ 200 eggs each time, about 0 ~ 12 days for the second spawning. The juveniles hatch at 48 hours and swim for food after 7 days.
Blue Fairy
Scientific name: pterophyllum scalare var
Also known as blue swallow, it is a freshwater fish species of the order Perciformes, Cichlididae, and the genus Angelfish. It is an artificial variant bred by the original Ska angelfish, and the body color of the blue fairy has changed greatly compared with the original species, which is very beautiful, and it is a classic ornamental fish of the angelfish family cultivated in modern times.
Yin and Yang Immortals
Also known as Mandarin duck swallow, it is a freshwater fish species of the order Perciformes, Cichlididae, and the angelfish. The Yin-Yang Immortal is an artificial variant bred by the native Ska Angelfish, the body color has changed greatly compared with the original species, the flower color is very unique, and it is a classic ornamental fish.
Grey Zebra Fairy
Scientific name: pterophyllum Scalarevar zebra
Also known as zebra swallowfish, it is a freshwater fish of the order Perch, Cichlididae, and angelfish. It is similar to the black zebra, but the body color is gray, the color contrast is strong, it has a blue-green metallic luster, and the pattern of each fin is clearer and more gorgeous. Moreover, the iris of the eyes of this species of immortal is red.
Peruvian deity
Scientific name: pterephyllum scalare peru
Also known as Peruvian sca fairy, Peruvian swallow fish, peruvian spot Peruvian fairy, is a perciformes, cichlid family, angelfish is a freshwater fish. The Peruvian River, a tributary of the Amazon basin in Peru, is a beautifully looking fish that can be used as an ornamental fish.
Glass fairy
The whole body is transparent, the head is yellow, and the gills, as well as internal organs and bones, can be clearly seen. There are also varieties of white seeds.
White Immortals
Scientific name: terophyllum scalare var
Also known as white swallow, it is a freshwater fish species of the order Perciformes, Cichlididae, and the genus Angelfish. The white angelfish is an artificial variant bred by the original ska angelfish, the body color is completely white, very beautiful, is a classic traditional ornamental fish.
Silver Immortals
The whole is a silver and a modified variety with a metallic luster, and the stripes on the body are not obvious.
Panda fairy
Scientific name: Chaetodontoplus ballinae
The color is easily distinguishable, the pearl gray to the lower part of the body, back and eyes are black. The pectoral and caudal fins are yellow. It can grow up to 20 cm and be raised in aquariums of more than 400 liters. The food includes a variety of animal and plant baits, special baits for artificial gods.
It is a freshwater fish species of the order Perciformes, Cichlididae, and the genus Angelfish. It is an artificial variant bred by the native Ska angelfish, and the body color has changed greatly compared to the original species, which is very beautiful and is a classic traditional ornamental fish.