Other Freshwater and Brackish Water Fish
Elephant Fish
Gnathonemus petersii
Photo: Jutta234 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Temperature24–28 °C
- pH6–7.5
- Minimum tank250 l
- Adult size23 cm
- Difficulty★★★★☆
- TemperamentPeaceful
- WaterFresh
Full profile
- Family
- Mormyridae
- Origin
- The Niger and Congo River Basins
- Size
- 23 cm
- Temperature
- 24 – 28°C
- pH
- 6.0 – 7.5
- GH
- 2 – 12 °dGH
- Difficulty
- ★★★★☆
- Water type
- tropical freshwater
- Swimming level
- lower
- Behavior
- Peaceful (territorial toward others of its own species)
- Minimum number of individuals
- 1 or a group of 5 or more
- Minimum aquarium size
- 250 L
- Diet
- carnivorous (mosquito larvae, worms)
- Reproduction
- oviparous; does not reproduce in the aquarium
Notes: It uses a “proboscis” on its chin and weak electrical pulses to search for food in the sand at night. It has a proportionally enormous brain. It needs fine sand and hiding places.
