All fish / Anabantidae

Kingsley's Ctenopoma

Ctenopoma kingsleyae

Also known as kingsley's bushfish, tailspot ctenopoma, tail-spot bushfish, kingsleyae ctenopoma, ctenopoma kingsleyi, spotted climbing perch, クテノポマ・キングスレイエ, 金氏攀鲈

A sturdy, laterally compressed bushfish in grey-brown to olive tones, with a dark spot at the base of the tail and spiny-edged fins. It is kept for its calm, deliberate stalking behaviour and its hardiness in a dim, well-planted African biotope tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a group of 5 or more in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: insect larvae, earthworms, prawns, small fish and meaty frozen foods; some take pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

West and Central Africa, from Senegal and Gambia to the Congo basin

Breeding

Unusually for anabantids it scatters thousands of floating eggs without guarding them or building a bubble nest. It has been bred in captivity only now and then, and raising the tiny fry calls for very small live foods.

Good to know

It is a predator with a big mouth and will eat any fish small enough to swallow, so keep it with robust tankmates of a similar size. It can breathe air, so it needs access to the surface and a tight-fitting lid.