Amazon leaf fish

Care at a glance

Overview

The Amazon leaf fish is a solitary, slow-moving ambush hunter that spends its day imitating a dead leaf until prey drifts near. It ignores fish too large to eat but will inhale small tankmates, so house it alone or with peaceful fish that are clearly too big to swallow, and never with fin-nippers. It wants quiet, dimly lit water with plenty of cover to lurk in. Expect to feed live foods at first, such as shrimp and small feeder fish, since many refuse anything that does not move, then coax it onto frozen foods over time. A single fish needs a calm, shaded tank of around 115 liters or larger.

In the wild

In the wild this fish lives in the still, shaded blackwater creeks and flooded forest margins of the Amazon Basin, where tannins stain the water the color of weak tea and dead leaves carpet the bottom. It drifts among that leaf litter and submerged roots, well camouflaged. Recreate the setting with soft, acidic water, a pH between 5 and 6.5, gentle flow, and low light. Add driftwood, leaf litter, and tall plants so it has shade and cover, and keep the temperature warm, from 23 to 29 C.

Good to know

The Amazon leaf fish is the only species in its genus, part of the New World leaf fish family Polycentridae. Adults reach about 9 cm and have a deep, laterally flattened body, a chin barbel that looks like a leaf stalk, and a mouth that opens very wide. Its camouflage even includes a dark line mimicking the central vein of a leaf. Aquarium breeding is seldom recorded. In nature it lays eggs on a firm surface such as a leaf or stone, and the male guards the clutch.

Did you know

Few fish disguise themselves as well as the Amazon leaf fish. It even carries a dark stripe that imitates the midrib of a leaf and a chin barbel that looks like the stalk. When prey drifts close, it strikes in about two tenths of a second, making it one of the fastest feeders in fresh water.

Related species

• 

  Schomburgk's leaffish

  Polycentrus schomburgkii

  3.9 in (10 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  African butterfly cichlid

  Anomalochromis thomasi

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• Cascajal toothcarp

  Brachyrhaphis cascajalensis

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• 

  Gold barb

  Barbodes semifasciolatus

  2.8 in (7 cm)20 gal (75 L)64–75°F (18–24°C)

• 

  Zebra acara

  Nannacara adoketa

  4.7 in (12 cm)25 gal (95 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Flameback cichlid

  Pundamilia nyererei

  3.5 in (9 cm)42 gal (160 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)