TankBud

African butterflyfish

Pantodon buchholzi

Also known as African butterfly fish

FreshwaterFish

African butterflyfish (Pantodon buchholzi)
Toniher · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–86°F
23–30°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
4.7 in
12 cm
Minimum tank
25 gal
95 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Top
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg layer · Hard
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Pantodontidae
Origin
Central Africa

Overview

The African butterflyfish is a surface hunter that waits at the top of the tank for prey. It is best for a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The African butterflyfish can leap clear of the water on its broad pectoral fins and glide a short distance. It uses those leaps to snatch flying insects or escape danger. Hobbyists long believed it could truly fly, and although it does not flap, its gliding leaps gave it its common name.

Caring for the African butterflyfish

Give the African butterflyfish at least 25 gal (95 L), and more if you keep several. A long tank with lots of surface area and open water at the top suits it. Add floating plants such as frogbit or water lettuce, and keep the lighting dim.

Fit a tight, gap-free lid, since it is a powerful jumper. A snug lid also holds a layer of humid air above the water. Use gentle filtration that does not churn the top, so the water stays still. Keep it soft and slightly acidic to neutral, at 73 to 86°F (23 to 30°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5.

Feed floating and live foods such as crickets, mealworms, small feeder insects and frozen bloodworms. It rarely takes food off the bottom.

It is mostly peaceful, but it will eat any fish small enough to fit in its mouth. Choose tank mates that stay in the middle and lower levels and are too big to swallow. Avoid fin-nippers, which pester its long trailing fins. You can keep a small group in a roomy, well-covered tank, though males can squabble over surface space.

Breeding it in aquariums is hard. A courting pair releases floating eggs in batches over several sessions, sometimes well over a hundred in total. The eggs drift at the surface until they hatch.

Good to know

The African butterflyfish is the only living member of the family Pantodontidae. It is an ancient relative of the arowanas and other bonytongues. It has wing-like pectoral fins and an upturned mouth built for grabbing prey at the surface. Its skull and swim bladder are adapted to watch the world above the waterline.

In the wild

The African butterflyfish drifts among floating plants in slow, warm, tannin-stained pools, swamps and creeks across Central and West Africa. The surface is its whole world.

Common questions

What size tank does an African butterflyfish need?

An African butterflyfish needs at least 25 gal (95 L). It spends most of its time in the top.

What temperature and pH does an African butterflyfish need?

An African butterflyfish is comfortable at 73–86°F (23–30°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does an African butterflyfish eat?

An African butterflyfish eats floating and live foods such as crickets, mealworms, small feeder insects and frozen bloodworms. It rarely takes food off the bottom, and it will eat any fish small enough to fit in its mouth.

How big does an African butterflyfish get?

An adult African butterflyfish reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).

How does an African butterflyfish breed?

African butterflyfish are hard to breed in aquariums. A courting pair releases floating eggs in batches over several sessions, and the eggs drift at the surface until they hatch.

Related species