Pterophyllum

Scalar ( Pterophyllum scalare )

The scalars or angelfish ( Pterophyllum ( Gr. " pteron " = sail or " pteryx " = wing; " phyllon " = leaf ) ) are a three- species genus of cichlids ( Cichlidae ), their relatives in the aquarium to the top and most famous freshwater ornamental fish count.

From the Amazon area with its tributaries to Peru and Eastern Ecuador we know Pterophyllum scalare (up to 15 cm in length); from the region of the Orinoco tributaries with the High Segelflosser ( also "true " scalar called ) Pterophyllum altum (up to 18 cm in length). The smallest representative, Pterophyllum leopoldi, occurs in the upper reaches of the Amazon ( Solimões ).

Features

Scalars have a disc-shaped, strongly laterally flattened body, a high dorsal and anal fin long and extended pelvic fins. They are 12 to 17 cm in length and capable body height (including the fins ) of 20 to 30 cm. Males are larger than females. The color is silvery with four broad dark transverse bands, which reach into the unpaired fins.

  • Fins formula: Dorsal XI-XIII/19-29, Anal V-VII/19-32, caudal 16-17.
  • Dandruff formula: 35-40 (MLR )

Way of life

All species of this genus are revier making and live as juveniles still in the swarm, and later carried family education with a strong partner loyalty. Scalar operate brood care and belong to the open -nesting birds. They spawn mostly from previously cleaned on a leaf of a broadleaf plant. The clutch size is several hundred to a thousand eggs. Parents fish defend the breeding ground before other fish, pick unfertilized eggs from the nest and affected by fungi and insert the fins the water before the larvae and eggs on the move. The free-swimming fry are performed as a swarm of parents and further defended.

Species

  • Leopold scalar ( Pterophyllum leopoldi ) ( Gosse, 1963)
  • Scalar ( Pterophyllum scalare ) ( Schultze, 1823)

Swell

  • Günther Sterba: Encyclopedia of aquatics and special Ichthyology. Publisher J. Neumann Neudamm, 1978, ISBN 3-7888-0252-9
  • Claus Schaefer, Torsten Schroer (ed.): The great encyclopedia of aquarium. Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-8001-7497-9.

Further Reading

  • Hans -Joachim Paepke: Segelflosser. 4, enlarged edition, Westarp Sciences, Hohenwarsleben 2003, ISBN 978-3-8943-2845-0
  • Jürgen Schmidt: scalars. Bede Verlag, Ruhmannsfelden 2003, ISBN 978-3-8986-0068-2
Cichlinae Heroini Amazon River Fish fin FishBase
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