HomeFreshwater aquarium fishOddballs & predatorsBlack ghost Black ghost (Apteronotus albifrons) Scientific name: Apteronotus albifrons Linnaeus, 1766 The Black ghost (Apteronotus albifrons) is a freshwater fish of the family Apteronotidae that grows to about 50 cm (20 in). It is moderate to keep and aggressive, suits community aquariums and needs a tank of at least 210 L (55 US gal), water at 23–28°C (73–82°F) and a pH of 6.0–8.0. Native range: South America, Venezuela to Paraguay and Paran? rivers. Black ghost care at a glanceCare levelModerateTemperamentAggressiveCommunity tankGoodAdult size50 cm (20 in)Minimum tank210 L (55 US gal)Temperature23–28°C (73–82°F)pH6.0–8.0Hardness5–10 dGH (89–178 ppm)DietOmnivore. Accepts flakes and frozen foods. BiologyOccurs in rapidly flowing waters of creeks with a sandy bottom. Is a micro-predator of insect larvae. Nocturnal. Possesses a weakly discharging neurogenic electric organ and ampullary electro receptors that are distributed from head to tail.Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameApteronotus albifronsFamilyApteronotidae (Ghost knifefishes)OrderGymnotiformes (Knifefishes)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length50.0EnvironmentFreshwater;; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 5 - 19 benthopelagicClimateTropicalDistributionSouth America: Venezuela to Paraguay and Paran? rivers. Also in the Amazon Basin of Peru.Conservation status (IUCN)Not EvaluatedThreat to humansHarmlessUsesFisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial More oddballs & predatorsGlass knifefishEigenmannia virescensAmazon leaffishMonocirrhus polyacanthusGangetic leaffishNandus nandusZig-zag eelMastacembelus armatusApteronotus leptorhynchusEel LoachPangio anguillarisSee all oddballs & predators Can it live with...?Black ghost and African bonytongueBlack ghost and Amazon leaffishBlack ghost and Black sharkminnowBlack ghost and Blackbarred limiaBlack ghost and Bleeding-heart tetraBlack ghost and Bloodfin tetraBlack ghost and Bluespotted corydorasBlack ghost and Brilliant rasboraBlack ghost and Butterfly splitfinBlack ghost and Chinese suckerBlack ghost and Clown barbBlack ghost and Clown loachBlack ghost and Clown rasboraBlack ghost and Crescent bettaBlack ghost and Dwarf botiaBlack ghost and Dwarf rainbowfishBlack ghost and Eel LoachBlack ghost and Elephantnose fishBlack ghost and Forktail rainbowfishBlack ghost and Freshwater butterflyfishBlack ghost and Gangetic leaffishBlack ghost and Garnet tetraBlack ghost and Glass catfishBlack ghost and Glass knifefishBlack ghost and Glowlight tetraBlack ghost and Goldeneye cichlidBlack ghost and Head-and-taillight tetraBlack ghost and Horseface loachBlack ghost and Indian glassy fishBlack ghost and Indonesian snakehead SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Aquarium care parameters compiled, checked and converted to metric and imperial units by Guppies.za.net.Last updated 28 September 2026