Only a few specimens of one of the most remarkable knifefishes of the New World reached us from Peru: Compsaraia samueli. The males of this “pelicano knifefish” develope grotesque long snouts. The males are absolutely intolerant against each other. They fight with mouths wide open in a manner that is known from fighting male deer.
The maximum size of the species, which has been described scientifically only in 2009, is about 23 cm. Males become sexually ripe with about 19, females with 15 cm length. In our fishhouse, the fish are fed with Tubifex and small feeder fish (Tanichthys). Regarding the water the knifefish, which are collected in the vicinity of Iquitos, are quite undemanding. However, it is best to keep the fish in soft and slightly acidic water and temperatures between 22 and 26°C.
For our customers: the fish have code 218205 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Lexicon: Compsaraia: from ancient Greek, means “with elegant fin ray”; the genus name refers to the anal fin structure. samueli: dedication name for Samuel Albert.
Suggestion of a common name: Pelicano Knifefish, Samuel´s Ghost Knifefish
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
| Angaben zum Tier | |
|---|---|
| Herkunft | Peru |
| Verfügbare Größe in cm | 15 - 18 |
