All fish / Amiidae

Bowfin

Amia calva

Also known as bowfin, mudfish, dogfish, grinnel, choupique, cypress trout, beaverfish, blackfish, アミア・カルヴァ, アミア, 弓鳍鱼

The bowfin is a living fossil and the only surviving member of its family. It has a long, cylindrical olive-brown body, a very long wavy dorsal fin and a rounded tail, and males carry a dark eyespot ringed with orange near the tail base. Keepers of large predators value it for its ancient look, its hardiness and its ability to gulp air at the surface.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

50 cm

Temperature

10 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 8

Smallest tank

1000 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Carnivore: fish, crayfish, prawns, earthworms and meaty frozen foods; many will learn to take sinking pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 20 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Eastern North America: Great Lakes, Mississippi basin and Atlantic and Gulf coastal drainages

Breeding

In spring the male clears a nest in weedy shallows, spawns with one or more females and then guards the eggs and the dense shoal of fry for several weeks. Breeding in home aquariums is almost unknown because of the fish's size and need for seasonal changes, though it does happen in ponds.

Good to know

It grows large, is a powerful predator that will eat any tankmate it can swallow and can jump, so a heavy, tightly fitting lid is essential. Keeping or moving live bowfin is restricted in some places, so check local rules and never release one.