All fish / Mormyridae

Worm-jawed mormyrid

Campylomormyrus tamandua

Also known as blunt-jawed elephantnose, blunt jawed elephant nose, worm jawed mormyrid, elephant nose, elephantnose fish, tamandua elephantnose, trunk-nosed mormyrid, エレファントノーズ, 象鼻鱼

A dark brown to blackish mormyrid with a long, down-curved tubular snout and a small mouth at the tip, used to probe soft substrate for invertebrates. It produces a weak electric field to sense its surroundings and communicate, and is kept by enthusiasts for its strange look and curious, intelligent behaviour.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Singly, or a group of 5 or more in a very large tank

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen bloodworm, blackworm, tubifex and small crustaceans

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Central and West Africa: Congo basin, also Niger and Volta basins

Breeding

Not reliably bred in home aquariums; most fish in the trade are wild caught. Little is known of its spawning in captivity.

Good to know

Grows larger than many people expect and can quarrel with its own kind, so give plenty of cover and space. Sensitive to poor water quality and medications such as copper, and needs fine sand and dim light.