All fish / Mormyridae

Elephantnose Fish

Gnathonemus petersii

Also known as peters' elephant nose, elephant nose fish, elephant nose, peters' elephantnose, elephant-nose mormyrid, long-nosed elephant fish, peter's elephantnose, elephantfish, ปลางวงช้าง, ikan hidung gajah, エレファントノーズ, エレファントノーズフィッシュ

A dark brown, elongated fish with a long, trunk-like chin extension used to probe soft substrate for worms and insect larvae. It produces a weak electric field for navigation and communication, and keepers value its unusual looks, curious behaviour and relatively large brain.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

23 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly, or a group of 5 or more in a large tank to spread aggression

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen bloodworm, blackworm, daphnia and brine shrimp; rarely takes dry food

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

6 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

West and Central Africa: Niger, Congo, Ogooué and Chad basins (Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and neighbours)

Breeding

It has not been bred reliably in home aquariums, and almost all specimens in the trade are wild caught. Little is known about its spawning beyond reports of seasonal breeding during floods.

Good to know

Needs soft sand, dim lighting, plenty of hiding places and very stable, clean water, and it is sensitive to medications such as copper. Conspecifics can quarrel badly in small tanks, and boisterous or nippy tankmates will outcompete it for food.