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Does anyone know anything about this fish? They have some at my fish store right now, I dont suppose one would get along with my 6" Jack Dempsey and 8" Pleco in my 55g? Oh, the scientific name is Ctenopoma acutirostre if that helps.

Hi,
Here Ya go:

http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/breeding/Marshall_Leopard_Bushfish.html

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I just bought some of these myself, and I love them. They would do fine with a pleco, but they are a fairly timid fish and would be under constant stress if paired with an aggressive cichlid. They seem to do best in groups, though they don't school as such.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

Ctenopoma acutirostre is, if memory serves, also one of the largest members of the Genus, reaching 8 inches in length. It is also a stealth predator upon smaller fishes given half a chance, so companions need to be chosen very carefully.

It's also missing from our Profiles section. Hmm ...


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Very interesting fish, I figured there was no way I could put one in my cichlid tank. I love the fact that PetS*$#t sells them as "African Spotted Leaf fish" nationwide, when in fact it is a completely different fish.

Well that's big companies for you.

Mind you, in this case, the two fishes concerned are superficially similar. Ctenonpoma acuirostre and the TRUE African Leaf Fish, Polycentropsis abbreviata, bear quite a few similarities in appearance, but those appearances are deceptive. The two fishes are not even in the same Family - Polycentropsis abbreivata belongs to the Family Nandidae, whose best known representative is the Amazon Leaf Fish, Monocirrhus polyacanthus. Apart from being separated taxonomically by a fairly wide berth, the other difference - which becomes amnifest upon closer examination - is that Ctenopoma has coloured soft dorsal and anal fins, while those of Polycentropsis are so transparent that you have to look carefully to make sure the fish hasn't been subject to an amputation! Also, Ctenopoma species possess labyrinth organs for breathing atmospheric air (once upon a time they were classified with the Gouramies before a taxonomic revision split the Gouramies into multiple Families - Ctenopoma are among the few fishes left in the Family Anabantidae after the split, along with the Climbing Perch, Anabas testudinens) whilst Polycentropsis along with the other Nandids lacks this organ.

One feature that the two fishes DO share, however, is stealth predation. Both Ctenopoma and [p]Polycentropsis will empty an aquarium of small Tetras and Danios in pretty short order - of the two, despite its smaller size, Polycentropsis is likely to be the more efficient at this, partly because like other Nandids, it possessed a fairly frightening looking capability to extend its mouthparts telescopically to engulf prey. The facility isn't quite as well developed in Polycentropsis as it is in the better known Monocirrhus polyacanthus (the Innes book has a startling picture of that fish yawning and demonstrating its telescopic mouthparts for the camera) but you can bet that it's well developed enough to spell doom to small fishes that mistakenly drift too close ...

Actually, if you could set up the requisite aquarium for them, Polycentropsis and Ctenopoma would make interesting tankmates - one patrolling for small fishes in the upper water layers, the other hunting them down in the lower layers. Howewver, since Polycentropsis is an obligate predator, and NEEDS live fishes regularly in its diet, you would be breeding feeder guppies at a rate of knots to keep such an aquarium functioning. Give the aquarium good planting, with cave provision for the Polycentropsis and floating plants for the Ctenopoma to hover beneath, and the two fishes would put on a display of 'lurking' for prey ... now that would make an 'African' aquarium with a difference!



Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

it possessed a fairly frightening looking capability to extend its mouthparts telescopically to engulf prey.

You should see this in action! It's amazing. Their mouths are huge. I plan on keeping mine with some senegal birchirs, but I wanted to grow them out to make sure the birchir wouldn't outgrow them and eat them, but now I'm realizing that I may have to worry about the birchir if I get them small enough to be mistaken for worms. They also hang head-down like leaf-fish do. It's a little funny to watch all 4 of mine doing this first thing in the morning, each in their own little alcove under a broad leaf, or bit of bogwood, all acting exactly the same. I usually feed them floating flake food or bloodworms, but occasionally I'll feed a slow singking food like shrimp pellets or tropical crumbles, and it's so interesting watching them stalk the bits of food and then dart in to snatch it out of the water. These are an amazing and easily underrated fish. They are easily as intelligent and full of character as cichlids.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...