Freshwater
Spot-tail
Brachyalestes imberi
Alestidae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 19.8 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- At least 6 together
- Smallest aquarium
- 341 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
Native
Lives wild in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo - Brazzaville, Congo - Kinshasa, Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini, and 12 more countries.
More about the species
Description
Found in shallow and sheltered waters of swampy bays. Generally restricted to shallow waters where they may be found in various habitats such as over sand, rock or, less frequently, in aquatic weed beds. Common in shallow vegetated areas. Also found in large rivers and floodplain pans and lagoons. Feeds on insects, tiny fishes, vegetable matters and crustaceans. Main predator is the tigerfish. Breeds in summer, migrating to spawning sites after rains. Migrates to tributary rivers and floodplains when the rivers come down in spate. Known to mass at river mouths while waiting for suitable conditions to trigger off the breeding migrations upstream. Used as live bait for tigerfish and large catfish. Affinities: B. carolinae, with lateral stripe; B. nigricauda with wide black margin on caudal fin.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Alestes bequaerti
- Alestes curtus
- Alestes fuchsii
- Alestes fuchsii taeniata
- Alestes humilis
- Alestes imberi
In other languages
- Lyhtyalesti, Punaevätetra
- Characin, Imberi, Silversides, Spot-tail robber, Spot-tailed robber
Articles
All articles
How many fish can I keep?4 min read
Why "one cm of fish per liter" falls short, and what adult size, schools, territory and swimming zones mean for how many fish a tank can hold.
How to set up an African aquarium5 min read
Two completely different aquariums: forest rivers with soft, brown water, roots and leaves, and Rift Valley lake cichlids in hard, alkaline water with big rock piles.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.