All fish / Ctenoluciidae

Spotted Pike Characin

Boulengerella maculata

Also known as spotted pike characin, spotted pike-characin, needlenose pike characin, spotted gar characin, pike characin, boulengerella, ボウレンゲレラ・マクラータ, 斑点梭鱼, 斑点狗脂鲤

A long, slender, gar-like predator with a pointed snout, silvery body and rows of dark spots, often with a dark line along the flank. It hangs motionless near the surface before darting at prey, which makes it an impressive centrepiece for large Amazon-themed tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 30 °C

pH

5.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

800 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen fish, prawns, earthworms and large insects; can be weaned onto sinking pellets with patience

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon, Orinoco and Tocantins basins (Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia)

Breeding

It is an egg scatterer that spawns seasonally in the wild, and there are very few if any reliable reports of captive breeding. Trade specimens are wild caught.

Good to know

Nervous and a powerful jumper, so a tight lid and plenty of open swimming space are essential; it will eat any fish small enough to swallow. It is sensitive to poor water quality and damages its snout easily if startled in a cramped tank.