Elephantnose fish
Gnathonemus petersii
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The elephantnose fish from West and Central Africa has a trunk-like, sensor-packed chin extension that it uses to find worms and insects in the bottom. It generates a weak electric field to navigate, find food and communicate. Nocturnal, it lives in slow, muddy rivers and needs soft sand. It is territorial towards its own kind. It has never been bred in captivity: all fish in the trade are wild-caught.
- Scientific name
- Gnathonemus petersii
- Family
- Mormyridae
Fact sheet
General
- Water
- Freshwater
- Group
- Fish
Taxonomy
- Family
- Mormyridae
- Order
- Osteoglossiformes
- Synonyms
- Gnathonemus brevicaudatus, Gnathonemus histrio, Gnathonemus peters, Gnathonemus petersi, Mormyrus petersii
Origin
- Native region
- África
Water
- Temperature
- 23–28 °C
- pH
- 6–7.5
- General hardness (GH)
- 5–15 °dGH
Size and lifespan
- Adult size
- 22.5 cm
- Minimum tank (volume)
- 243 L
- Minimum tank (length)
- 120 cm
Behavior
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social life
- School
- Minimum group
- 5
- Swimming level
- Bottom
- Diet
- Carnivore
Care
- Care difficulty
- Easy
Conservation and trade
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
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