All fish / Anabantidae

Spotted Climbing Perch

Microctenopoma acutirostre

Also known as leopard bush fish, leopard ctenopoma, spotted ctenopoma, spotted bushfish, leopard climbing perch, ctenopoma acutirostre, ctenopoma acutirostris, クテノポマ・アクティロストレ, 豹纹攀鲈, 豹纹梳攀鲈

A laterally compressed, leaf-like predator with a pointed snout and a tan to yellowish body covered in dark leopard spots. It drifts slowly among plants and roots before snapping up prey, and keepers value its calm, characterful hunting behaviour and striking pattern in a dim, heavily planted tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly, in a pair or a small group of 4 to 6

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen bloodworm, earthworms, shrimp, mysis and small fish; some will learn to take pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Middle and lower Congo River basin, DR Congo and Republic of the Congo

Breeding

It is a free spawner that scatters floating eggs with no parental care, unlike bubble-nesting relatives. Captive breeding is rare and most fish in the trade are still wild caught or farmed in small numbers.

Good to know

It will eat any fish small enough to fit in its surprisingly large mouth, so keep it only with fish of similar or larger size. Recently placed in the genus Microctenopoma, so it is still widely sold under the old name Ctenopoma acutirostre.