The smokey angelfish only has one smokey gene, as opposed to the chocolate angelfish's two. Their fins and the rear of this phenotype display black and grey patterns, while the rest of their body has softer colorations.

In some cases, smokey angelfish, a different phenotype, are referred to as chocolate angelfish which contains two copies of the smokey gene. With the exception of their head, these phenotypes have a dark, frequently inconsistent, black and brownish color all over their bodies.

The rarest phenotype is found in blue angelfish, a recessive mutation that is quite recent and whose origins are unknown. It is made up of two recessive genes and enhances iridescence in all strains while significantly reducing the storage of carotenoid pigments.

In contrast to smokey angelfish, halfback angelfish have a dark black hue in the back half of the fish with a distinct border. Two recessive half-black genes are also present in this phenotype, which makes them rather uncommon.

The original wild variety of silver angelfish (Pterophyllum Scalare) has three vertical body stripes that extend between the dorsal and anal fins, one in the middle, and one across the eyes. Red eyes and some coloring on their upper side are features that the majority of wild types exhibit.

In contrast to the gold marble angelfish, gold angelfish display an entirely white with an orange and yellow hue, usually far more noticeable in color are their head and dorsal fin. Due to the recessive nature of the gold gene, two copies are necessary for this phenotype.

A gold or yellow upper body typically on their head contrasts with the main body's mixture of black and white coloring on gold marble angelfish. In certain cases, the entire body exhibits this gold/orange patterning. They are among the most popular angelfish on the market and come in a wide variety.

The albino angelfish has a white body with translucent fins, red eyes, and occasionally a very slight orange color on its top body. This colorless phenotype is the outcome of two recessive albino genes being present.