All fish / Osphronemidae

Golden Pikehead

Luciocephalus aura

Also known as pikehead, golden pike head, aura pikehead, luciocephalus sp. aura, pike gourami, ルシオケファルス・アウラ, ikan tumbuk, 金梭鲈, 金色梭头鲈

No free-to-use photo of this fish yet. Took one yourself? Send it to us and we will credit you.

Tankmates, for sale near you Identify a fish from a photo

A slender, pike-like gourami relative with a golden-brown body, dark lateral stripe and a remarkably protrusible mouth used to snap up prey from just below the surface. Specialist keepers value it as an unusual ambush predator from Sumatran blackwater swamps.

Care at a glance

Care level: Hard
Temperament: Semi
Adult size: 15 cm
Temperature: 24 to 28 °C
pH: 4 to 6.5
Smallest tank: 120 litres
Keep as: Singly or a small group in a species tank
Diet: Carnivore: live small fish, river shrimp and insects; few accept frozen foods
Swims: Top of the tank
Lifespan: 5 to 8 years
Water: Freshwater
Wild range: Indonesia: Sumatra (Jambi and Riau peat swamp blackwaters)

Breeding

A paternal mouthbrooder, the male carrying the eggs and fry for several weeks. Captive spawning is rarely reported and requires very soft, acidic water and live food.

Good to know

Strictly eats live prey at first and will swallow any fish that fits its mouth, so keep only with similar-sized calm species. Easily stressed and jumps, so a tight lid, floating plants and very soft acidic water are essential.