Blue-green lampeye

Procatopus aberrans

Also known as Aberrans lampeye

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 2.2 in (5.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Cross River region, Nigeria and Cameroon
Family: Procatopodidae

Overview

This is a peaceful, active schooling fish that needs a group of eight or more and a fair amount of open, moving water. It holds in the middle of the tank and colors up as a group, flashing blue green when light catches it from the side. Keep it with other calm, current loving community fish and avoid slow or long finned tankmates. It is a steady eater of small foods, taking micro pellets, crushed flake, and frozen or live daphnia, cyclops, and baby brine shrimp. Give it a tank of at least 75 liters with clean, gently flowing water and it will spend the day out in the open.

In the wild

The blue green lampeye lives in clear, moderately flowing forest streams of the Cross River region in Nigeria and Cameroon, over sand, roots, and rock in dappled shade. Reproduce that with soft to neutral water around pH 6.0 to 7.5, a temperature of 22 to 26 C, and steady, well oxygenated flow. A dark substrate, driftwood, rock, and robust plants along the margins give it cover while leaving open lanes to swim.

Good to know

This lampeye belongs to Procatopodidae and reaches about 5.5 cm, deeper bodied and more strongly iridescent than most of its kin. It needs clean, well oxygenated water and is regarded as a fish for experienced keepers. Breeding is moderately difficult, and the fry are small and slow, needing tiny live foods from the moment they hatch.

Did you know

Procatopus lampeyes are crevice spawners: rather than scattering eggs among plants, they push them one by one into narrow cracks in submerged wood and rock, an unusual habit for a fish barely five centimeters long.