Elephant Nose Fish
The fish are naturally nocturnal and requires dark hiding spots in the aquarium.
Elephant nose fish. They go by a number of additional common names but the most popular are the long nosed elephant fish ubangi mormyrid elephant fish and peters elephant nose fish named after the individual who discovered them. The elephant nose gnathonemus petersii fish is a freshwater fish from african that sports a highly unusual look. Peters elephant nose fish is an african freshwater elephantfish in the genus gnathonemus.
Though it is not very aggressive in nature when put along with one of its own kind it can get quite fierce and attack the weaker fish. The elephant nose fish is a very timid but active freshwater fish. The fish got its specific name in honor of german zoologist wilhelm peters 1815 1883.
It looks quite unusual due to construction of its mouth that is a trunk like and resembles elephant s nose. However there are a few things that seem to pop up more often than others. Elephant nose s are also excellent hearers and are very sensitive to noise and vibrations.
Gnathonemus petersii is a freshwater fish species of mormyridae family. Aside from damaging their electrical organ or whole mouth on unsuitable substrate elephantnose fish are pretty healthy. The fish uses electrical discharges to find food communicate with other fish of a similar type and for breeding purposes.
The gnathonemus petersii is a flat bodied fish developed in length. Elephantnose fish are thin and oblong primarily dark brown or gray with white markings and a long trunk like nose thus the name elephantnose. By nature the elephant nose fishes feel comfortable and peaceful when they are kept along with a big school of at least 5 to 7 species of fishes.
This fascinating species is the one that is most commonly sold as elephant nose fish. As the latin name petersii confirms it is named after someone called peters although the apostrophe is often misplaced and the common name given as peter s elephantnose fish. Common elephant fish diseases.
It uses electrolocation to find prey and has the largest brain to body oxygen use ratio of all known verteb. Elephant nose fish prefers to settle closer to a silty densely overgrown with grass bottom. Elephantnose fish are shy sensitive fish who need pristine water conditions to thrive.
Other names in english include elephantnose fish long nosed elephant fish and ubangi mormyrid after the ubangi river. Exotic elephant nose fish is also known as the nile elephant or peters elephant lives in the wild in the freshwater rivers of africa namely in the reservoirs of the central and western parts of the mainland. The elephant nose gnathonemus petersii is an exciting fish that originates from the niger river and its tributaries in western africa.
Elephantnose fish gnathonemus petersii elephantnose fish lat. The elephantnose fish or peter s elephant are very unique fish that not many hobbyists can say they have.