Freshwater
Zambesi parrotfish
Cyphomyrus discorhynchus
Mormyridae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 31 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 715 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
Native
Lives wild in Angola, Botswana, Congo - Kinshasa, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and 1 more country.
More about the species
Description
Nocturnal shoaling species; favors large river channels with a soft bottom and fringing vegetation. Found mainly in sheltered bays, lagoons and swampy areas; occurs also in typical sandy or rocky rivers. Feeds on bottom-living invertebrates and insect larvae at night. Known to migrate up tributary rivers of Lake Kariba during rainy season, though it is not yet clear whether this is a breeding migration. Breeds during summer rainy season; females carry up to 5,000 eggs.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Cyphomyrus smithersi
- Hippopotamyrus discorhynchus
- Hippopotamyrus smithersi
- Marcusenius discorhynchus
- Marcusenius smithersi
- Marcusenius tanganicanus
In other languages
- Leukanuijakala
- Parrotfish, Zambezi parrotfish
Articles
All articles
Ich (white spot)4 min read
The most common disease in aquarium fish. How to recognize it, why it shows up, and how to get rid of it.
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.