Other Freshwater and Brackish Water Fish
Black Ghost Knifefish
Apteronotus albifrons
Photo: Mattia Nocciola · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Temperature23–28 °C
- pH6–7.5
- Minimum tank400 l
- Adult size50 cm
- Difficulty★★★☆☆
- TemperamentSemi-aggressive
- WaterFresh
Full profile
- Family
- Apteronotidae
- Origin
- Amazon River Basin, Orinoco and Paraná
- Size
- 50 cm
- Temperature
- 23 – 28°C
- pH
- 6.0 – 7.5
- GH
- 2 – 15 °dGH
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
- Water type
- tropical freshwater
- Swimming level
- low – medium
- Behavior
- semi-aggressive (toward others of its own species; eats small fish)
- Minimum number of individuals
- 1
- Minimum aquarium size
- 400 L
- Diet
- Carnivorous (worms, larvae, shrimp; feeds at night)
- Reproduction
- oviparous; does not reproduce in the aquarium
Notes: Velvety black with two white rings on its tail. It moves back and forth by undulating its single ventral fin and navigates using a weak electric field. It needs a tube or cave to hide in.
