how to tell the difference between male vs female angelfish

What is the difference between male vs female Angelfish? Angelfish is a freshwater fish that is usually used as an ornamental fish because of its beautiful body. This fish has a thin body and long fins, especially on the back, belly, and tail. The color of this fish is also very varied, such as white, silver, black, orange, and so on.

Although many are sold in ornamental fish shops and are often the prima donna, the prestige of manfish is not well known by most Indonesian people. This is because the price of a manfish is quite expensive. However, even easy maintenance makes this fish its fans.

It’s not too difficult to distinguish Angelfish, both male and female. Even if you just pay attention to its characteristics from a distance, no need to hold. The condition is that the fish must be at least 6 months old. Check out the characteristics of the two as follows!

Male Angelfish

The male Angelfish has the main characteristics of a bulge on the top of the head resembling a carp. At the same age, the body size is larger than the female Angelfish. If you look closely, this male is also decorated with brighter colors all over his body. The color will look brighter when the fish are sexually mature and ready to enter the spawning period.

Female Angelfish

Unlike the female Angelfish, this fish has a distinctive body shape that is rounded with a slightly fat belly. The shape of the top of the head is also flat, the alias does not protrude upwards. When observed, the color of this female Angelfish is duller and will not turn any brighter when it is gonadally mature. Another difference is that the female Angelfish has a smaller body size compared to the male Angelfish.

Look at the fins

Male and female angelfish look alike, and it can be very difficult for even experienced fish keepers to tell the difference. The most pronounced difference between the male and female angelfish is the size of the tube located between the anal fin and the ventral fin. This tube will be much thicker in the female than in the male, but the difference is usually not easily seen until the fish have started spawning. Angelfish keepers will need to keep an eye on their fish to notice the difference between males and females in the tank.

Swelling with eggs

One of the surest ways to tell a male angel from its female counterpart is to watch for egg swelling. When the female prepares to spawn, she begins to swell with eggs, and at the time of spawning this swelling will be quite pronounced. It is important for any hobbyist considering raising angelfish to keep an eye out for this swelling. Once the female has been identified, the aquaculturist can use the distinctive patterns of each fish to note which are male and which are female.

Spawning behavior

The only sure way to determine the sex of an angelfish is to observe its spawning fish. Once the first spawning is underway, it will be quite obvious which fish are laying eggs and which one is fertilizing those eggs. Once the sexes have been definitively determined, fish owners can use each fish’s unique patterns to record those sexes. Keeping accurate records will make it easier to set up special spawning pools for angelfish.

Difference

Note the differences between male and female Angelfish below:

1. Male Angelfish are larger than female Angelfish.
2. The male Angelfish has a bright color, while the female has a dull color.
3. The body shape of the male fish is elongated, in contrast to the female fish which has a rounded body.
4. The shape of the upper head of the male fish is prominent, while the female fish is flat.
5. When the male fish is mature, the color of the male fish becomes brighter, but the color of the female fish is still the same.