Freshwater
African bonytongue
Heterotis niloticus
Arapaimidae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 100 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 21,000 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
NativeIntroduced
Lives wild in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, and 8 more countries.
Introduced to Central African Republic, Congo - Brazzaville, Congo - Kinshasa, Gabon, Madagascar, and Togo.
More about the species
Description
Obligate air-breathing, able to survive in deoxygenated waters; the hardiness of this fish, together with its great growth rate make it a candidate for aquaculture in Africa and it has been transported to a number of countries for this purpose. Escapees from ponds into the wild resulted in established populations, which form the basis for fisheries. Maximum observed length in Lake Kainji: 100 cm, observed weight: 10000 g. Young found in swampy places among aquatic vegetation. Adults live in open water of rivers and lakes, in both the pelagic and littoral zone. Feeds on mud, phytoplankton, vegetable debris and small invertebrates. The only plankton-feeder of the Osteoglossidae. Suprabranchial organ has a sensory function and a mechanic function in concentrating little food particles. During breeding, mature adults create a circular nest in swamps. Young leave the nest after a few days and are guarded by the male.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Clupisudis niloticus
- Heterotis adansoni
- Heterotis adansonii
- Heterotis ehrenbergii
- Heterotis nilotica
- Sudis adansonii
In other languages
- Fanntang
- Afrikansk knogletunge
- Afrikanarapaima
- African arowana, African bony tongue, Bony tongue, Heterotis, No name, Stoneside
Articles
All articles
Fish that get along4 min read
Temperament, fin nippers, fish that eat other fish, and fish that need the same water. And what the Harmony mark in the app means.
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.