Is my angelfish pregnant?

[NiaCas]

I noticed today that Marma looks swollen and she seems to have what kinda sorta looks like eggs protruding from her. Not too sure how to describe it, so I took some pics though it's really hard to see. I mainly tried to capture the swollen look I think. (Pfft. "Capture". As if I'm not a super crappy photographer) At first I was worried that she had developed a growth or something, but then I saw that she looks the same from both sides.

These pics probably aren't too clear. She was REALLY hard to take pictures of today which is actually odd. Usually she's front and center, pushing others out of the way so she can be in the picture

 

[SushiRoll]

I've only read this stuff so correct me if i'm wrong, but she looks gravid to me ( full of eggs ) that thing protruding from her is her breeding tube so nothing to worry about . Is she cleaning any specific area? if she is she will probably lay eggs there but they wont be fertile unless there is a male around.

 

[Andy Sager]

I've only read this stuff so correct me if i'm wrong, but she looks gravid to me ( full of eggs ) that thing protruding from her is her breeding tube so nothing to worry about . Is she cleaning any specific area? if she is she will probably lay eggs there but they wont be fertile unless there is a male around.

You are correct Only livebearing fishes (Guppies, Platies, Mollies, Swordtails, etc) can be pregnant and Angelfish are egg layers so the common term is "gravid".

To the OP, It's not unusual for single female Angels to lay eggs without a male but nothing will come of them without a male present and fertilizing them. They will be a good food source for any other fish you may have in the tank, however, she can also do some real damage to your other fish while trying to protect her eggs so you may want to remove whatever she spawns on and scrape those eggs off it and add them to your regular food. She will not be happy for a day or so but they usually get over it quickly.
If you see her with a another Angel in your tank, and that other Angel looks to be protecting her from any other fish you have in the tank, you may want to remove both these fish to another tank as they can be very protective of a spawning area and really go after the other fish in your tank.
Obviously, without knowing all the specifics of your set up, these are only suggestions as to what you can expect to see. Not all fish follow "the rules" but most do with these results.

If you are interested in breeding your Angels, there is a thread in the breeding forum titled " Wigglers at last!!!" which was an ongoing discussion by both professional and hobbyist Angelfish breeders all about breeding and raising Angelfish. Pretty much everything you need to know is in that thread.

Hope this helps

 

[NiaCas]

Thanks so much guys! She's paired up with the male in the tank, but I'm not interested in breeding. I must ask though, how long can I expect her to remain this way? I thought that since it looked like some eggs were just about to come out that she would have laid them already, but her breeding tube goes back and forth between looking normal and......eggy?? lol...yeah..if I start throwing around too many of these super technical terms just let me know
I just checked on her again when I turned off the tank lights and it looked like there was a tiny spot of blood at the end of her breeding tube. Maybe that's normal from pushing eggs out or something, though I haven't seen any, but it freaks me out lol so I'd like to know when she might be back to normal! Really wish I had a good fish store around so I could have her checked out, but all I've got is a place that sells fish and employs a bunch of teenagers who try to sell me "endangered japanese royal shrimp" (amano shrimp) and "live rock" as "a plant that looks like a rock and doesn't need water" -_-

 

[Andy Sager]

You can tell by the bulge in her abdomen if she has released her eggs. If she did and ate them immediately, tomorrow, she should not look as "bulgy". If she still does tomorrow, she probably hasn't spawned.
That all being said, I don't usually see blood at the ends of my female's tubes so yours could be an indication that she rubbed on something sharp or there may be an internal worm issue you may need to deal with. Your pictures look " normal" so I wouldn't rush to judge worms but the bloody spot is an issue of concern to me and should be watched. It could also be coloration. Some of mine have partial black tubes to co-inside with the dark areas at their vent. I suggest getting a good magnifying glass and try to look closely at her tube and see if there is anything there besides her tube.

Hope this helps.