Origins of domestic scalare

[mabirchell]

Hi guys, just curious if anyone knows the original collection point of the domestic scalare. Are they just a mix of everywhere by now? I see a lot of wild collection have very distinct markings, where the common “silver” scalare is just plan silver with stripes. I have a wild Peruvian scalare with my domestic scalare and the difference is very noticeable. Is the red eyes a bred in trait or is there a wild type with red eyes? Any info would be great ?.

 

[neutrino]

The consensus of literature I've seen, which often seems to be quoting the same uncredited original source, is that domestic angelfish are the result of various crosses of undocumented collection points by early collectors and breeders, and possibly includes crosses of species they didn't distinguish between, so that domestic angels being called "scalare" may be partly due to the ignorance of early collectors regarding separate species of Pterophyllum. In any case, domestic scalare have a murky past and the best way to get a true 'wild type' scalare descendant, or scalare descended from a specific population, is from a breeder who started with wild fish from a known location.

It's also been suggested by some that Pterophyllum species may (or may have) hybridize(d) in the wild, also that scalare may yet be divided into more than one species.

 

[duanes]

I had my first"angel fish" in the late 1950s, and at least in the stores I went to as a kid, they were just "angelfish", no distinction, or acknowledgement there were separate species, although even back then, the line bred blacks, and veil tailed were available.
I wonder if even the collectors knew at that point?

 

[mabirchell]

I had my first"angel fish" in the late 1950s, and at least in the stores I went to as a kid, they were just "angelfish", no distinction, or acknowledgement there were separate species, although even back then, the line bred blacks, and veil tailed were available.
I wonder if even the collectors knew at that point?

Probably not. Seems they still have trouble with them. This happened to a lot of African cichlids when they first came out of the lakes. They got jumbled into tanks and crossbred from ignorance of the species until more was known.

 

[mabirchell]

The consensus of literature I've seen, which often seems to be quoting the same uncredited original source, is that domestic angelfish are the result of various crosses of undocumented collection points by early collectors and breeders, and possibly includes crosses of species they didn't distinguish between, so that domestic angels being called "scalare" may be partly due to the ignorance of early collectors regarding separate species of Pterophyllum. In any case, domestic scalare have a murky past and the best way to get a true 'wild type' scalare descendant, or scalare descended from a specific population, is from a breeder who started with wild fish from a known location.

It's also been suggested by some that Pterophyllum species may (or may have) hybridize(d) in the wild, also that scalare may yet be divided into more than one species.

Thanks ?. I am a sucker for the wild type fish. I feel angels communicate better with their stripes. Although some of those blue/silver types and the koi types have caught my eye here lately ?.