Head to head
Marine Angelfish vs Freshwater Angelfish
The marine angelfish and the freshwater angelfish share a name and a tall, disc-shaped look, but they are entirely unrelated, one a large family of saltwater reef fish and the other a single Amazon cichlid species kept in home aquariums.
| Marine Angelfish | Freshwater Angelfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pomacanthidae (family) | Pterophyllum scalare |
| Family | Marine angelfish family | A South American cichlid |
| Habitat | Saltwater reefs of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific | Freshwater floodplain lakes and flooded forest of the Amazon basin |
| Body shape | Tall, flattened disc that slips between coral | Extremely deep, narrow disc with long trailing fins |
| Diet | Many species feed mainly on sponges | A stalking predator of small fish, larvae, and crustaceans |
| Reproduction | Many species are protogynous hermaphrodites | Monogamous pairs that fan and guard eggs and fry together |
| Selective breeding | Not a defining trait | Generations of breeding produced many colour forms |
| Conservation status | Least Concern as a family | Not Evaluated |
Marine Angelfish vs Freshwater Angelfish: common questions
Are marine angelfish and freshwater angelfish related?
No, marine angelfish belong to the family Pomacanthidae, while the freshwater angelfish is a South American cichlid, and the two share little beyond a common name and a similar tall shape.
Which angelfish lives in saltwater, and which in freshwater?
Marine angelfish live on saltwater reefs of the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific, while the freshwater angelfish lives in slow, warm rivers and flooded forest in the Amazon basin.
Which angelfish raises its young as a pair?
The freshwater angelfish, which forms lasting monogamous pairs that take turns fanning and guarding the eggs and fry; many marine angelfish instead change sex within harem groups.