Which freshwater fish is native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins and commonly called the freshwater angelfish?

Pterophyllum scalare is the freshwater fish commonly called the freshwater angelfish.

This tall-bodied cichlid is native to slow-moving waters and flooded forests in the Amazon and Orinoco regions of South America. Its laterally compressed body, long fins, and vertical stripes help it move among aquatic plants and submerged branches.

Pterophyllum scalare became a major aquarium fish during the twentieth century. Captive breeding produced many color and fin varieties, including silver, marble, gold, and veil forms. Wild fish are generally more streamlined and strongly patterned than some domestic strains.

The name “angelfish” can be misleading because marine angelfish belong to a different family. Freshwater angelfish are cichlids in the genus Pterophyllum. They are also sometimes confused with discus, another popular South American cichlid with a more rounded body.