Freshwater angelfish are cichlids that originate around the Amazon River basin with a striking, compressed body shape and long extended dorsal and anal fins. The fish are often taller than they are long. There are three recognized species, all belonging to the genus Pterophyllum.

For aquarium breeding, the angelfish is a bad parent compared to many other cichlids, and quite often eats its young. The eggs are deposited on a bare rock, root or large leaf of some water plant, and the young are cared for by both parents.

Angelfish inhabit slow waters in the Amazon region. Its shape allows it good protection among roots and plants, often on a vertical surface. It eats small invertebrates and is no danger to most other fish in an aquarium, except that it will sometimes try to eat small baby fish.

Due to its peaceful temperament and appearance, it is one of the few cichlids that is commonly kept in decorative tanks or public displays with smaller types of fish.

*Descriptions provided by Dictionary of Everything, Dictionary of Fish