CRITTER OF THE WEEK: Spotted Climbing Perch

By the genus alone we can already draw certain conclusions about this animal, the name Ctenopoma is derived from the Greek word Cteno, meaning comb or cover. One can say that this either refers to the spines on the gill, the spiny dorsal fin crest or both. The latter part of the name, acutirostre, refers to the Latin word acut meaning sharp rostrum, referring to the pointed nose of the animal. Many favor this animal for their resemblance to the Leaf fish. The leopard markings which goes towards much of their appeal also helps them camouflage in their niche, hiding from both potential predator and prey. Hailing from Africa in the Congo River Basin, C. acutirostre is found in many of the stagnant lake/pond areas and even the fast moving rivers. C. acutirostre is a predator, which is most active during the twilight hours (more on this in captive care). The animal has reportedly reached lengths of eight inches in the wild though six is much more common and most specimens don't even reach that.

Reproduction

For the average and even not so average aquarist these animals are very difficult to sex as they have a minute amount of sexual dimorphism. Most accounts of captive breeding come from zoos which have had specimens for several years in large planted aquaria. They are free layers and do not care for the eggs or young.

Captive Care and Tank mates:

As aforementioned this animal has a very 'spiny' crest along their dorsal spine as well as spines along the gills. This is important because they are easily damaged during capture and transit, which leads to infection and stress; this is the number one cause of the animal's death in captivity so please exercise caution. If received in good condition the animal is relatively hardy when provided with the following minimum conditions:

Tank size: 40 gallon (look into the breeder variation)

Ph: 6.0-8.0

dH: 5-12

Temperature: 68-78F

As you can see these animals can handle a pretty large range of conditions, the key however is to not let theses parameters sway and to keep them stable.

While these animals are not particularly aggressive or territorial (barring turf wars with conspecifics) they are predators and should be treated as such. This means you should stock community tank-mates that aren't small enough to be eaten. Having a lighting system that incorporates a dusk or moonlight phase will emphasize the viewing pleasure of these animals. As they are mostly nocturnal and feed during night-time hours this will encourage natural behavior and feeding in your specimens.

As far as feeding goes please refrain, if at al possible, from utilizing live foods. Instead give this carnivore a mix a variety including but not limited to, crustacean flesh, mollusk flesh, blood worms, mysis and if your lucky a quality flake high in protein.

The Point:

Obtaining a healthy specimen is the largest battle, if you can do this and provide them with a stable environment and appropriate tank mates you should be successful.

Links:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/anabantoids.htm

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=10029

http://aquaworld.netfirms.com/Labyrinthfish/Ctenopoma/Ctenopoma_acutirostre.htm

http://www.wetpetz.com/leopardbushfish.htm

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/cteno-ac.htm

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Ctenopoma_acutirostre.php

http://www.gpasi.org/articles/ctenopoma_acutirostre.html

http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/breeding/Marshall_Leopard_Bushfish.html

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f29/leopard-ctenopoma-ctenopoma-acutirostre-fruitbat-27057.html

Please visit our Sponsors