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Others
/ Pantodontidae / Butterfly fish
Butterfly fish
Pantodon buchholzi | Pictures
Synonyms: None
Physical description: The butterfly fish is bird-shaped with a flat dorsal surface.
The wing-like pectoral fins are very
large when compared with overall body size.
The large mouth points toward the surface. The base body color is brown
with an irregular pattern of white and black spots and stripes.
Size/Length: 4" (10 cm)
Similar species: None
Habitat: Slow and still moving water with dense shore vegetation in West Africa; Nigeria, Cameroon,
and Zaire.
S: top
Aquarium: A 30" (76 cm) or 20-25 gallon (95 L) tank is sufficient.
Use a cover of floating plants and dim
lighting.
The tank should be arranged in dark colors and heavily planted.
There should be 4-6" (10-15 cm) of space
left between the surface and the tank lid.
A tight-fitting cover is required for this species which prefers a
shallow tank with a large surface area.
Water chemistry: pH 6-7.5 (6.5); 2-10 dH (3); 75-86°F (24-30°C)
Social behavior: This species should only be kept with larger, peaceful fish of the lower swimming levels.
This
species may be aggressive towards others of its
own species, and is perhaps best kept singly.
Suggested companions: Medium sized Mormyrids, African Knifefish, large Congo Tetras,
Synodontis, African tetras, West African
cichlids
FOOD: Small fish; insects; flies, spiders, crickets, meal worms; mosquito larvae; brine
shrimp; acclimated specimen may accept flakes
Sexual differences: The male has an anal fin with a curved, even cleft, edge; while the female has straight-edged
anal fin.
Breeding techniques: The tank should have a pH of 6.5, a water hardness from 8-10 dH, and a temperature from
79-84°F (26-29°C).
Adding peat to the filter and feeding the pair a variety of food will help initiate spawning.
Three
to seven eggs are deposited at each pairing.
The eggs float to the surface where they turn black after 10 hours.
The
fish will spawn a total of 100-250 eggs. Transfer the eggs to a breeding tank.
The fry hatch after 36-42 hours and
are very difficult to raise. The fry will not chase food, but only eat what passes directly in front of them.
Breeding potential: 8.
This species is difficult to breed, and the young are even harder to raise.
REMARKS: A crepuscular species that is active mostly at dusk.
The Butterfly fish is well-known for
its ability to glide for short distances through the air.
When startled this species may leap against the
aquarium cover.
Difficulty of care: 6.
This species requires frequent partial water changes and a diet including live foods.
The
Butterfly fish will eat smaller companions and is intolerant of other surface fish.
Due to its leaping ability, this species
must be kept in
tank having a tight-fitting cover.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
How to save the world's oceans from overfishing
(7/8/2007) Global fishing stocks are in trouble. After expanding from 18 millions tons in 1950 to around 94 million tons in 2000, annual world fish catch has leveled off and may even be declining. Scientists estimate that the number of large predatory fish in the oceans has fallen by 90 percent since the 1950s, while about one-quarter of the world's fisheries are overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion. Despite these dire trends, the situation is changing. Today some of the world's largest environmental groups are focused on addressing the health of marine life and oceans, while sustainable fisheries management is at the top of the agenda for intergovenmental bodies. At the forefront of these efforts is Mike Sutton, director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's conservation program: the Center for the Future of the Oceans. The aquarium, which has long been recognized as one of the world's most important marine research facilities, is pioneering new strategies for protecting the planet's oceans. Sutton says the approach has four parts: establishing new marine protected areas, pushing for ocean policy reform, promoting sustainable seafood, and protecting wildlife and marine ecosystems.
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