Polycentropsis abbreviata – African Leaffish

Polycentropsis abbreviata – African Leaffish

Polycentropsis abbreviata was described by Boulenger in 1901. The genus name Polycentropsis can be broken down into a number of ancient Greek words. Poly means many, Kentron means spine and opsis means occurrence/appearance; a many-spiked appearance.

Origin

Type locations:
West Africa: Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon (Ogowe). Also reported in the Ouémé River in Benin. The fish is found in the rainforest.

Ndog Bong, 15 km from Mouanko in Cameroon. A small river with amber clear water, a bottom of dark gravel, water pH 6.5. Plants including Nymphaea lotus.

Description

This Leaffish is a predatory fish that cannot be kept together with smaller fish. It is also difficult to keep larger fish in an aquarium together with this fish, as the species can be extremely aggressive. It is best to keep Polycentropsis abbreviata in a species aquarium, or possibly with larger Ctenopoma species such as Ctenopoma kingsleyae, and robust algae eaters. The species is not very mobile, and is mainly active in the evening and at night. Although the African leaffish do not move much, they must still be placed in a spacious aquarium, otherwise they will wither away (stress). They can reach a total length of about 10 centimeters.

Diet

This Leaffish can be fed with worms, large insects (larvae), crustaceans and fish. Detritus, nematodes and algae are also included in the diet in nature.

The Aquarium

The aquarium should be densely planted on the sides, with an open area in the middle. It is also important that the tank is not exposed to too much light, or that there is a floating plant cover, in combination with a dark bottom. The water must be slightly acidic, pH 6-6.5 and with a low water hardness (below dGH 10). The species is also sensitive to lower temperatures, the aquarium should be at least 25 degrees Celsius, it is better to increase the temperature slightly.

Breeding Polycentropsis abbreviata

To breed this species it is necessary to bring them into breeding condition. This can only be achieved by feeding enough live fish. Once they are ready for breeding, the male starts building a bubble nest that is made in the plants. During mating, up to 362 eggs are placed in the nest one by one by the female. After spawning the female must be removed. At a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, the young hatch after 5-6 days. They are very small at that time and must be fed with infusoria for the first few days, after which they can be switched to Artemia nauplii. About a third of the young develop into males.

Video

Author

Eric Naus – Nederlandse Vereniging voor Labyrintvissen
Published in accordance with the board

Copyright images

AquariumGlaser.de