From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
African Butterflyfish
Pantodon buchholzi
- Temperature
- 23–30 °C
- pH
- 6 – 7.5
- Min. tank size
- 110 L
- Lifespan
- 5-6 years
- Diet
- carnivore
- Care level
- moderate
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Pantodon buchholzi |
| Family: | Pantodontidae |
| Origin: | West/Central Africa (still, vegetated surface waters) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | moderate |
| Diet: | carnivore |
| Max Size: | 12.00 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | tropical |
| Temperament: | semi aggressive |
| Min Group: | Can be kept alone |
| Varieties: | No cultivated strains, and no close relatives — the species is the only member of the genus Pantodon and the only member of the family Pantodontidae. That makes it unusually isolated taxonomically. Its nearest relatives are the arowanas, the African arowana and the elephantnoses, all within the Osteoglossiformes, and all of them look nothing like it. Some geographic variation exists across its West and Central African range, from Nigeria and Cameroon through the Congo basin, and there has been discussion of whether more than one species is involved, but the trade treats it as one. Almost all stock is wild-caught, and imports arrive stressed and often reluctant to feed. For anyone looking for other surface oddities, the halfbeaks, the freshwater needlefish and the various hatchetfishes fill a similar niche — but none of them can be kept with this fish, since it eats small surface dwellers and quarrels with larger ones. |
| Lifespan: | 5-6 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Low
- Min Tank:110 L
- Substrate:Dark substrate; floating plants, a calm surface and an absolutely tight lid
- Plant Safe:Plant-safe
- Filtration:Low (very gentle flow; calm surface)
African Butterflyfish (Pantodon buchholzi) is a species of fish in the family Pantodontidae. It is native to West/Central Africa (still, vegetated surface waters). The African butterflyfish is a living fossil with a specific job: it hangs motionless at the surface, looking like a dead leaf, and waits for an insect to land. It is the only member of its genus and the only member of its family, Pantodontidae, and it sits in the Osteoglossiformes alongside the arowanas — an ancient lineage that has kept this body plan for a very long time. Everything about it is surface-adapted. The huge wing-like pectoral fins, the upturned mouth, the flat back, the eyes set high on the head. It reaches 120 mm standard length and is capable of leaps of several metres to catch insects or escape predators, which makes a tight lid the first requirement rather than an afterthought. It will also eat any fish that fits in its mouth.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- semi aggressive
- Keep in
- Can be kept alone
- Swims
- top
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
Species similar to African Butterflyfish
Matched on family, then category, then water type