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Can anyone help me? I seen this fish at the fish store today, and it was a african spotted leaf fish. I think its a cichlid from the reasearch i have done, but i am not sure, i cant really find anything on them. Can someone please help point me in the right direction?

It is most likely a Ctenopoma species, which is not a Cichlid but an Anabantoid (Gouramis and kin). They are territorial among themselves but otherwise peaceful to fish they cannot swallow.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Ah, watch out!

Does this fish have a 'Cichlid like' look, but with certain interesting features?

The reason I ask is that there are one or two Nandids from Africa that are closely related to Monocirrhus polyacanthus, the South American Leaf Fish, and have a similar way of life. the fish I'm principally thinking of here is Polycentropsis abbreviata.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of Polycentropsis abbreviata is that there is a truly astonishing level of contrast between the soft rayed unpaired fins and the hard-rayed unpaired fins. The dorsal and anal hard rays are colour-matched to the rest of the body, while the soft-rayed parts (along with the caudal fin) are so translucent that at first it's difficult to see that they are there at all - at first glance, the fish looks as though the soft-rayed unpaired fins have been amputated!

Another feature, less dignostic but indicative that you may have Polycentropsis abbreviata, is the jaw. Which has a seriously predatory jutting look to it, like a miniature version of a Guapote (such as a Jaguar Cichlid).

Look also for three radiating dark lines centred upon the eye, which is a feature that several Nandid species possess. If your fish has the 'amputated' looking soft unpaired fins and three radiating dark lines, chances are it's Polycentropsis abbreviata. Its principal difference from its South American cousin is the lack of the single chin barbel (the mimetic 'leaf stalk') but otherwise its requirements and mode of life are similar. It also shares with its South American cousin the 'telescopic' mouthparts that can engulf surprisingly large prey!

The fish is not a fighter per se, tends to live without too much trouble with others of its own kind, and gets along with sedate fishes that are too large for it to swallow. It can, be advised, swallow surprisingly large fishes for its size! It also likes subdued light and is likely to be nocturnal when first acquired. Will live happily in a well planted aquarium with bogwood roots and caves a-plenty.

Another litmus test, by the way, is size. If your fish never exceeds 3 inches as an adult, then again it's likely to be this rare Nandid. If on the other hand, the adult size of your fish is more like 8 inches, and it lacks the diagnostic features cited above, chances are you've got a Ctenopoma species - Ctenopoma acutirostre reaches 8 inches with ease and is a substantial predator at that size.

However, while Ctenopoma may be persuaded to eat dead foods, Polycentropsis abbreviata should have live fishes. It needs them if it is to be brought into breeding condition.

To make matters even more confusing, Polycentropsis abbreviata is a Nandid that builds a bubble nest like a Labyrinth Fish! However, the development of this behaviour is not as advanced as in the true Labyrinth Fishes, the male assuming sole parental responsibility for the 'nest' (such as it is). Oh, and determining the gender of your specimens by sight is next to impossible unless the female is very ripe with eggs - this is one of those fishes that looks as if all specimes were stamped from the same mould!

Hopefully, this should be of use to you.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

OK well i was told it was a adult. It was labled african spotted leaf fish. I bought the fish after I posted the message. And I have many "caves" in my tank and the fish seems to always behiding in one. Also I bought some goast shrimp, and they seem to be disappering, so i hope this is a good thing. I read that one of yall said this fish doesnt eat? Ok I may have read that wrong, what should I feed this fish? I was told by the fish store that the fish will eat brine shrimp, so i got a whole set up thing to hatch brine shrimp for the fish to eat, will the fish actually eat them?

Oh yea, the the fish is actually only about 2- 2 1/2 inches long, a very little thing really

ok I am just confused now, is it possiable to have a cross breed of the two? As in a spotted climbing perch and a aficran leaf fish? My fish has the markings of a spotted climbing perch ( as in this link)http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/cteno-ac.htm
but, it has the charisitics of the Polycentropsis abbreviata (as in this link) http://www.ekkwill.com/afleaffis.html
My fish is little, and quite short, like the polycentropsis abbreviata, but has the markings and coloring of a climbing perch, but if its a climbing perch, why would the fish store have it labeled as a african spotted leaf fish?

also the fins are of the african leaf fish, the front ones under the stomch (i dont know what they are called) but they are not.....ah i dont know how to discribe this fish! I wish i had a cam, so i could take a pic

Not sure if this will help you out or not, but in the January 2006 issure of Aquarium Fish Magazinethere is quite an extensive reply to a reader's question concerning leaf fish. In the article the writer indicates that there are only 3 (??) available leaf fish species , 2 from South America (Monocirrhus polyacanthus & Polycentrus schomburgkii) and 1 from Southeast Asia (Nandus nandus). Is your fish possibly one of these and was misidentified at the fish store as to where it was from? Common names are so misleading as they change from location to location and even from store to store in the same city.

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Nandus look noticeably different in adolescence. Looks like you've got yourself an Afro. The patterning, I'm sure, is quite variable.

It looks like i got what?

First point to address here: it won't be a hybrid. The two fishes belong to entirely different Families, so the chances of them hybridising and producing viable offspring is effectively zero.

Second point: you say your fish is spotted in a manner reminiscent of Ctenopoma acutirostre, but has a different body shape (i.e., taller and not as elongate). This opens up some interesting possibilities.

Among the posssibilities is that you have a Ctenopoma, but a different species. I know for a fact that it won't be Ctenopoma ansorgei because that is a striped fish with very distinctive colours (including bright red and green in the fins) so we can discount that one immediately! However, you have quite a choice of species to search through if your fish happens to be a Ctenopoma Labyrinth Fish, and the list comprises the following:

Ctenopoma acutirostre (several colour varieties!)
Ctenopoma ansorgei
Ctenopoma argentoventer
Ctenopoma ashbysmithi
Ctenopoma breviventrale
Ctenopoma congicum
Ctenopoma ctenotis
Ctenopoma damasi
Ctenopoma davidae
Ctenopoma fasciolatum
Ctenopoma garuanum
Ctenopoma intermedium
Ctenopoma kingsleyae
Ctenopoma lineatum
Ctenopoma machadoi
Ctenopoma maculatum
Ctenpoma multispinis
Ctenopoma muriei
Ctenopoma nanum
Ctenopoma nebulosum
Ctenopoma nigropannosum
Ctenopoma ocellatum#
Ctenopoma oxyrhynchum
Ctenopoma pekkolai
Ctenopoma pellegrinii
Ctenopoma petherici
Ctenopoma riggenbachi
Ctenopoma togoensis

One thought that crosses my mind - Ctenopoma kingsleyae is a nice dark brown fish - it is this one? Here's a pic ... Ctenopoma kingsleyae

Also, try Ctenopoma nebulosum - here is a pic.

Now if we've exhausted all the possible Ctenopoma species, it's time to go looking at some Nandids. Polycentrus schomburgki is actually a South American fish, but fits pretty closely with your description, as this illustration on this Russian page on Nandids shows quite well. If this matches your fish, then it's mislabelled badly because it's from the 'wrong' continent!

If after all of this, you've run out of options, then it's time to borrow a friend's digital camera and take a photo of your mystery fish!




Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Ok OK i give up.......Im guessing its a Ctenopoma acutirostre 2 (as pictured in the link)[link=Click here]http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=www.aquascapeonline.com/store/ProdImages/fwf%2520odd%2520ctenopoma_lg.jpg&imgrefurl=www.aquascapeonline.com/store/scripts/prodView.asp%3Fidproduct%3D205&h=267&w=400&sz=37&tbnid=INBwd0UiA2cJ:&tbnh=80&tbnw=120&hl=en&start=5&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCtenopoma%2Bacutirostre%2B%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG [/link]
(gee thats a long link)

Last edited by Fallout at 24-Dec-2005 00:23

sorry about that....youll just have to copy and paste the link in to your broswer..........

lol at least they got the african part right! But thats not a leaf fish...at least i dotn think it is..

They have a few different common names... Climbing Perches, Leaf Fish, and Bushfish are the ones that immediately pop into my mind.

They are one of the many reasons why scientific names should be used instead. Then there is no mistaking which fish is what.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.