Page 189 - Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish, 3rd Edition

OTHER AFRICAN SPECIES 187

Polypterus senegalus Xenomystus nigri
COCOONED IN MUD
Cuvier’s Bichir African Knifefish
Lungfish get their name from their ability
ORIGINS Africa, in parts of Senegal, Gambia, Chad, and ORIGINS West Africa, occurring in the the Niger River in to breathe air out of water. Air is taken up via
Niger, and in the White Nile and Lakes Rudolf and Albert. Liberia, Niger, Zaire, and Gabon; also in the upper Nile. folds in the swim bladder, which increase the
SIZE 12 in (30 cm). SIZE 12 in (30 cm). organ’s surface area and allow more blood
DIET Live foods. DIET Live foods. to flow through it, facilitating gas exchange.
WATER Temperature 77–82°F (25–28°C); soft WATER Temperature 73–82°F (23–28°C); soft Thanks to this auxiliary method of respiration,
(50–100 mg/l) and neutral (pH 7.0). (50–100 mg/l) and acidic (pH 6.5). lungfish can survive through the dry season,
TEMPERAMENT Aggressive and quarrelsome. TEMPERAMENT Becomes territorial with age. when the pools that they inhabit evaporate.
As water levels fall, a lungfish burrows down
Light greenish coloration and pale underparts into the substrate and becomes sealed in
typify these eel-like fish. They also have a number the drying mud. With its body covered in
of small dorsal fins running down their back and mucus to prevent water loss, and using its
supplementary gills to help them survive in the swim bladder to breathe, it remains inert
wild in poorly oxygenated water. Cuvier’s Bichirs in its muddy cocoon until the rains return,
require a large yet relatively shallow tank, with typically four to six months later. The
planting kept to a minimum but with plenty of lungfish then frees itself from its cocoon
retreats, such as bogwood. As members of the pike and reverts to its aquatic existence.
family, they are highly predatory by nature.
Shaped like a knife blade, this fish is brown to
brownish-gray, occasionally with vertical stripes
down the body. Knifefish require a well-planted
aquarium and must not be kept with smaller
companions. They tend to be nocturnal and may
make bell-like sounds by compressing their
swim bladders. The female is more colorful
when she is in spawning condition, often turning
reddish-brown. She may produce up to 200 eggs.

Protopterus annectens
African Lungfish fish needs to be housed on its own in a large,
well-planted aquarium with relatively shallow
ORIGINS Africa, from Senegal eastward to Nigeria, and water. The tank must have a soft, fine substrate
from Zaire southward to Zambia and Mozambique. and include bogwood to provide a suitable retreat.
SIZE 26 in (65 cm). Feeding this unpicky predator is straightforward—
DIET Carnivorous. even aquarium snails sharing its quarters are likely
WATER Temperature 79–86°F (26–30°C); soft to be eaten. It has not yet proved possible to breed
(50–100 mg/l) and neutral (pH 7.0). these lungfish in aquarium surroundings. This is
TEMPERAMENT Aggressive and predatory. partly because of their intolerant nature, which
makes pairings difficult to achieve. Lungfish are
An elongated gray body, narrow, trailing pectoral not fussy about the pH and relative hardness of
fins, and a crestlike dorsal fin running down the the water in their tank, but good filtration is
back make the African Lungfish unmistakable. This essential to keep ammonia levels low.

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