Amber-finned lampeye

Foerschichthys flavipinnis

Also known as Foerschichthys lampeye

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 1.4 in (3.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 11 gal (40 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Niger Delta and Benin lowlands
Family: Procatopodidae

Overview

This is a tiny, peaceful schooling fish, so keep a group of at least eight to ten, since lone fish grow nervous and lose condition. It swims in the middle water and up toward the surface of quiet, well planted tanks, picking at small foods through the day. Pair it only with calm, similarly small community fish that will not bully it or beat it to a meal. Offer tiny foods such as micro pellets, crushed flake, and small live or frozen items like daphnia, cyclops, and baby brine shrimp. A tank of around 40 liters is enough for a starter group, with gentle filtration and floating cover.

In the wild

The amber-finned lampeye comes from sluggish, shaded lowland creeks and swamps of the Niger Delta and the Benin coastal plain, where the water is warm, soft, and stained by leaf litter. Recreate that with soft to neutral water around pH 6.0 to 7.5 and a temperature of 22 to 26 C. Use a dark substrate, plenty of fine leaved plants, some floating cover to dim the light, and gentle flow so the fish can hold in open midwater.

Good to know

It belongs to Procatopodidae, the African lampeyes, and is the only species in the genus Foerschichthys, erected in 1981 and named for the German aquarist Walter Foersch. Adults reach only about 3.5 cm, with the pale blue eye shine that gives the family its name and yellow tinted fins in good condition. Like other lampeyes it is a continuous spawner of moderate difficulty, laying a few eggs at a time among fine plants or a spawning mop, and the tiny fry need very small first foods.

Did you know

Its species name flavipinnis means yellow finned, from the Latin flavus for yellow and pinna for fin, which is exactly the amber tint that gives the fish its common name.

Tank mates

Amber-finned lampeye is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.