Flagfin and goldflake juvenile traits

[jarrod13]

I've been doing a bunch of research on flagfin angels and the most common thing I've come across is confusion with telling them apart from goldflakes as juveniles. I think it would be beneficial to myself and anyone else in the future to have a thread listing the differences between them and the ways to tell them apart, rather than posting a picture and only listing one or two handles. So basically what I'm looking for is-
Flagfin has X mark on fin, goldflake does not... And so on.

Also if anyone has a link to this information please post it.

Thank you in advance

 

[RDtrack]

Good Question

I'll just share my experience. I've had a small goldflake for about six months. When I got it, it basically had the same markings as a flagfin. It was sold as a goldflake and my LFS ensured me that it was. From my understanding it's pretty rare to get a juvenile that doesn't already have some black starting to show on the rear of it's dorsal fin. Mine didn't but shortly their after it started developing the black.

So I would say the first clue would be if it has black on the dorsal fin it's probably a goldflake. As far as I know a flagfin never develops black on it's dorsal fin.

Also if there is any black on the tail or the tell tale blue around the fins you have a goldflake.

Some say that if there is white area on the anal fin that it is a flagfin. I disagree my goldflake does have a patch of white above the black on it's anal fin. It is pale though.

Probably the best way in my mind is the body pattern. The goldflake has that gold pattern even when it is young and it just pops. Where as the juvenile flagfin is just plain looking in the body. A nice yellow but not that golden color.

Good luck if you are looking for a juvenile goldflake. I love mine, even though it's the boss of my tank. It's been a pleasure watching it grow and develop.

 

[jarrod13]

Thank you RDtrack, that's exactly what I'm looking for.

I'm actually hunting for a flagfin, but my lfs has what I believe to be a goldflake

 

[humaguy]

Hey there,

They do look very similar but flagfin lack the brown pattern on their side as well as lack most of the black in the anal fin...



here is my hybrid (lol, I believe her to be something other than a 100% gf) as I got her...
posting this pic because the 2 fish are both tiny and the same size...



There have been some real oddball gf babies around this past year that I feel are perhaps even more special than hybrids...

TK

 

[humaguy]

Good Question

I'll just share my experience. I've had a small goldflake for about six months. When I got it, it basically had the same markings as a flagfin. It was sold as a goldflake and my LFS ensured me that it was. From my understanding it's pretty rare to get a juvenile that doesn't already have some black starting to show on the rear of it's dorsal fin. Mine didn't but shortly their after it started developing the black.

So I would say the first clue would be if it has black on the dorsal fin it's probably a goldflake. As far as I know a flagfin never develops black on it's dorsal fin.

Also if there is any black on the tail or the tell tale blue around the fins you have a goldflake.

Some say that if there is white area on the anal fin that it is a flagfin. I disagree my goldflake does have a patch of white above the black on it's anal fin. It is pale though.

Probably the best way in my mind is the body pattern. The goldflake has that gold pattern even when it is young and it just pops. Where as the juvenile flagfin is just plain looking in the body. A nice yellow but not that golden color.

Good luck if you are looking for a juvenile goldflake. I love mine, even though it's the boss of my tank. It's been a pleasure watching it grow and develop.

It sounds like you got one of the oddballs too...agree, they are quite feisty fish!

 

[RDtrack]

How big is your hybrid? The tail on mine is almost black now and the blue edging is starting on the anal for and tail fin.

Is that picture of the same fish? I'll try to get a good pic of mine.

 

[RDtrack]

If they are selling a goldflake at flagfins price I'd buy it in a heart beat

 

[humaguy]

How big is your hybrid? The tail on mine is almost black now and the blue edging is starting on the anal for and tail fin.

Is that picture of the same fish? I'll try to get a good pic of mine.

The top pic is a ff. The bottom pic of the diver's den fish is in my tank. I got her almost exactly 1 year ago when she was about half an inch...this was taken last week, she around 3.5 inches...

 

[RDtrack]

Nice. Here is mine.

 

[ingtar_shinowa]

Ted you fish is looking less like a hybrid every day lol, so is mine but he is alot younger.

 

[humaguy]

Ted you fish is looking less like a hybrid every day lol, so is mine but he is alot younger.

lol, still going with hybrid or something...she is too yellow, her tail markings and edgings are just off...she is odd when you see her...