TankBud

Bebe mormyrid

Hyperopisus bebe

Also known as Bebe elephantfish

FreshwaterFish

Bebe mormyrid (Hyperopisus bebe)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
20.1 in
51 cm
Minimum tank
264 gal
1,000 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Mormyridae
Origin
Nile, Niger, and Chad basins, Africa

Overview

The Bebe mormyrid is a big, gentle, electrically sensitive elephantfish for the bottom of a very large tank. It is a fish for experienced keepers.

Did you know

The Bebe mormyrid's electric sense is precise enough to find snails and mussels buried in the sediment. It hunts this hidden, hard-shelled prey without needing to see or touch it first.

Caring for the Bebe mormyrid

Give a Bebe mormyrid a very large, calm, established system of at least 264 gal (1,000 L), with floor space to match its size. It needs a deep, soft sand bed to sift and plow, hiding places among wood, gentle current and subdued light.

Keep the water warm and neutral, at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Hold the quality rock-steady and spotless, since mormyrids are very sensitive to pollutants. Feed meaty sinking foods such as bloodworm, earthworm and prawn, ideally after dark.

Keep it singly, because it does not tolerate its own kind well. Choose any tank mates with caution. They should be peaceful and too large for it to eat, and never fin-nippers or boisterous feeders. Its breeding is not recorded in the aquarium.

Good to know

The Bebe mormyrid is the only species in the genus Hyperopisus, within the African elephantfish family Mormyridae. Like its relatives, it generates a weak electric field from an organ in the tail. It reads distortions in that field to navigate and find food. Its diet leans heavily on mollusks. It is also called the Bebe elephantfish.

In the wild

The Bebe mormyrid ranges across the Sahelian and Sudanic rivers of northern Africa, from the Senegal and Niger to the Chad and Nile basins. It cruises over sand and mud in both still and flowing water.

Common questions

What size tank does a Bebe mormyrid need?

A Bebe mormyrid needs at least 264 gal (1,000 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Bebe mormyrid need?

A Bebe mormyrid is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a Bebe mormyrid eat?

A Bebe mormyrid eats meaty sinking foods such as bloodworm, earthworm and prawn. Feed it after dark if you can.

How big does a Bebe mormyrid get?

An adult Bebe mormyrid reaches about 20.1 in (51 cm).

Related species