Angelfish Breeding Program

Caution When Buying Angelfish!

You will find many different common names on a single strain of angelfish. Some of these names are the results of people simply passing the name along from the person they bought their stock from. Others are the result of someone doing a little creative marketing. The following should help you determine if you're getting the strain you think you are.

This is a list of all major angelfish color mutations as of this writing. Note there are only eight. They are: Gold, Gold Marble, Marble, Zebra, Smokey, Dark, Half Black, Streaked and Albino. Add wild type (silver) and you have a total of nine types that make up all angelfish. There are a couple others that may be proven shortly, including Platinum.

There are three other significant genes that have identified that affect the look of angelfish. One is Stripeless, another is Pearl and the last is Streaked. These are not color genes but can have an effect on the look of the color genes. The other major gene people are concerned with is Veil, which simply affects the length of the fins on angelfish. There are no other proven angelfish color genes at this time. In order to be proven, there would have to be a study that shows phenotype counts in spawns that are statistically predictable and uniquely identifiable. At this time, there are no other genes that meet this criteria.

All angelfish hybrids are derived from the above listed mutations. Since many people use some pretty weird common angelfish names, the only way you can be sure of what you are getting is to look for angelfish that are identified with genetic notation showing the above angelfish gene names.

By the way, angelfish breeders do not "develop" mutations. Major mutations of a positive nature are freak occurrences of nature. Significant and useful ones happen rarely, with angels less than two or three dozen times in the last 50 years. When selectively breeding to improve a trait, one is hoping to spot minor mutations or unusual gene expressions that when accumulated over time, offer something slightly improved or different in that strain. In our opinion, these minor mutations and gene expressions don't justify giving the strain a new name, unless the phenotypes it produces are statistically predictable and uniquely identifiable. In fact, most variations seen in different lines of angelfish, are due to environmental influences - not genetics.

Angelfish Genetics Research

Dr Joanne Norton did the only documented research on any angelfish color genetics. She did this over a 20 year period and the research was thorough and correct in every way. It was published in a series of 18 articles in FAMA that started in 1982. Much of her results were also published in Aquariology, a widely distributed book put out by Tetra in 1992. Most of what we know on angelfish genetics came from her research and we will forever be indebted to her decades of work.

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