Matt Clarke takes a look at a hybrid angelfish that made its debut at last year's Interzoo show.
Scientific name: Pterophyllum scalare x Pterophyllum altum
Common name: Hybrid scalare-altum angel
Origin: Captive-bred hybrids.
Size: About 12-13cm/4.7-5.1” long and probably 25cm/9.8” tall.
Diet: Flakes and frozen foods.
Aquarium: Like other Pterophyllum these need a spacious tank with plenty of height. Go for something of at least 120 x 40 x 60cm/47 x 16 x 24”. Furnish with bogwood and consider plants for cover. There are no details on how difficult these will be to keep, but with scalare blood in them, they could be easier than true altum. We’re not fans of hybrids, but these have commercial potential as adults and look most impressive.
Notes: According to expert Heiko Bleher, these fish were captive-bred by German Simon Forkel. They’re said to be a cross between a true Pterophyllum altum from the Rio Atabapo on the Colombia border and the Segrest line of "Rio Negro altums", which is P. scalare.
Heiko said: "The dorsal fin is almost identical to that of P. altum from the Atabapo and there’s also other morphological features, such as head and mouth formation."
Availability: Not available in the UK yet, so far as we know, but spotted at Interzoo.
This item was first published in the August 2010 issue of Practical Fishkeeping magazine. It may not be reproduced without written permission.