Elephantnose fish (Gnathonemus petersii)

Scientific name: Gnathonemus petersii G?nther, 1862

Elephantnose fish (Gnathonemus petersii)
Photo: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-weakly-electric-fish-Gnathonemus-petersii_fig2_337757175

The Elephantnose fish (Gnathonemus petersii) is a freshwater fish of the family Mormyridae that grows to about 23 cm (9.1 in). It is difficult to keep and aggressive, needs carefully chosen tank mates and needs a tank of at least 115 L (30 US gal), water at 23–28°C (73–82°F) and a pH of 6.0–7.0. Native range: Africa, Niger and Congo River basins.

Elephantnose fish care at a glance

Care level
Difficult
Temperament
Aggressive
Community tank
With caution
Adult size
23 cm (9.1 in)
Minimum tank
115 L (30 US gal)
Temperature
23–28°C (73–82°F)
pH
6.0–7.0
Hardness
5–19 dGH (89–339 ppm)
Diet
Omnivore. Accepts flakes, frozen foods and live foods.

Biology

Dorsal spines: 0; Dorsal soft rays: 25-31; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 32 - 36

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Gnathonemus petersii
Family
Mormyridae (Elephantfishes)
Order
Osteoglossiformes (Bony tongues)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
35.0
Environment
Freshwater;; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 5 - 19 demersal
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Africa: Niger to Congo River basins.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; aquarium: commercial
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

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Sources

Taxonomy, 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.

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