As might be expected from the well-liked name of this fish, the big dorsal fin is its most prominent characteristic. It has a general body colour of brilliant blue-green, peppered with sparkling spots. The belly and throat are golden to yellow. The magnificent dorsal of the male is green-blue with a purple sheen and it is marked most attractively with blue, red, brown and orange patterning. The female isn’t so brilliantly coloured and has a smaller dorsal fin.
Great aquarium specimens can attain a length of about 4 inch.
The young are about 0.5 inch at birth and can number up to 100 in a single brood. They develop fairly rapidly, but the full beauty of the dorsal might take up to 12 months to develop.
When breeding keep in mind that the parents are likely to devour the fry, so offer adequate protection with plants, or a breeding trap.