Freshwater
Glass knifefish
Eigenmannia virescens
Sternopygidae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 44 cm
- Body shape
- Elongated
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 1,882 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
Native
Lives wild in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, and 4 more countries.
More about the species
Description
Known to be gregarious, timid and nocturnal. Prefers deep still waters. Found in ponds and creeks with a substrate rich in plant debris. This gymnotiform fish can be found in colder waters of 18°C. Electric organ discharge (EOD) frequency cues have been experimentally shown to play a role in species and sex recognition in this species. Playback of a conspecific male's electric courtship display elicited spawning in ripe females. Diel rhythmic change in EOD may be manifested by the increase in EOD amplitude at night among dominant breeding males as they compete with other conspecifics. A fractional spawner; fecundity reported at 905 eggs. Males reportedly reach 45 cm TL, females to 20 cm TL.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Eigenmannia lineata
- Sternachus virescens
- Sternatchus virescens
- Sternopygus lineatus
- Sternopygus tumifrons
In other languages
- Grön knivfisk
- Glasknivfisk, Grøn Elektroål
- Aavekala, Juova-aavekala
- Glass Headstander, Glass Knife Fish, Green knifefish
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 a South American aquarium4 min read
Soft, acidic water, subdued light, sand, roots and fallen leaves: how to set up a biotope aquarium from the Amazon and the rivers around it.
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.