Any of various fishes of the order Perciformes.
The best-known angelfishes are freshwater cichlid s (genus Pterophyllum ) popular in home aquariums. These are thin and deep-bodied fishes that usually are silver with vertical dark markings but may be solid or partially black; they may grow to 6 in. (15 cm) in length. Brightly coloured marine angelfishes are in the family Pomacanthidae. They are found among tropical reefs in the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific, where they eat algae and marine invertebrates and reach a maximum length of 18 in. (46 cm).
An aquarium angelfish ( Pterophyllum )
Jane Burton
Bruce Coleman Ltd.