Longsnout distichodus
Distichodus lusosso
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 37.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 275 litres
- Temperature
- 22–26 °C
Species profile
Leopard Bush Fish
Ctenopoma acutirostre
Common names: Leopard Bush Fish, Spotted Climbing Perch, Spotted Ctenopoma, Leopard Bushfish
Recognized speciesOddballs
Adult size
Up to 15 cm
Up to 15 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A dedicated tank built around this one fish
Think carefully if
- You keep smaller fish, which it may eat
- You keep shrimp you want to protect
A spotted African fish that mimics a leaf and stalks its prey slowly. Keep alone or in a small group in 108 litres or more.
Appearance and Identification
A spotted African fish that mimics a leaf and stalks its prey slowly. It reaches about 15 cm, and it will eat any fish small enough to swallow.
Check the scientific name when buying, as common names vary between sellers and countries.
Sexes are usually hard to tell apart.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 430–540 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 100–150 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 108 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 120 cm
- Minimum group size
- 1
- Recommended group size
- 1
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Low to moderate
- Planting preference
- Moderately planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Moderate
Allow plenty of room, use a very secure lid and fit strong filtration. Predators produce a lot of waste, and many are strong jumpers.
Behaviour and Tankmates
A predator that spends much of its time watching and waiting for prey.
Usually best alone, or in a very large tank with others of its size.
Many are intolerant of their own kind.
It will eat any fish that fits in its mouth, so keep it with fish too big to swallow, or alone. It is likely to eat shrimp. Choose its tankmates with care.
Water Parameters
Fairly tolerant of different water, if it is clean and stable.
Parameter caveat
Keep up regular water changes, and acclimatise new fish slowly.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Carnivore, Predator
- Feeding frequency
- Daily
- Preferred foods
- Quality carnivore pelletsWorth training it onto these, as they are balanced and clean.
- Frozen prawn, mussel and fishUse a variety. Avoid a diet of feeder fish, which can bring in disease.
- EarthwormsA good food, and most predators take them readily.
An ambush predator that eats small fish and invertebrates. Offer frozen bloodworm, mysis and earthworms, with live foods if needed.
Feed small amounts, and remove anything left after a few minutes.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Egg Scatterer
- Breeding difficulty
- Moderate
- Parental care
- None
- Baby foods
- InfusoriaNeeded for the first days, because most fry are very small.
- Newly hatched brine shrimpIntroduce as soon as the fry can take it.
An egg scatterer with no parental care. Adults eat eggs and fry, so use a separate tank with fine plants, moss or mesh on the bottom, and remove the adults after spawning. The fry need very small foods at first.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Africa, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo
- Natural habitat
- River
- Aquarium contexts
- Planted Aquarium, Species-Only Aquarium
- Audience level
- Beginner
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Ctenopoma
- Family
- Anabantidae
- Species group
- Fish, Oddballs
Have you kept this species?
You can write a note about what worked for you, or send a photograph. We check everything before it appears here.
Share a note or photo
Motoro Stingray
Potamotrygon motoro
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 50 cm
- Minimum tank
- 1944 litres
- Temperature
- 24–26 °C
Ornate Bichir
Polypterus ornatipinnis
- Care level
- Specialist
- Adult size
- 60 cm
- Minimum tank
- 648 litres
- Temperature
- 25–28 °C
Peter’s Elephant Nose Fish
Gnathonemus petersii
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 22.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 243 litres
- Temperature
- 23–28 °C