Churchill mormyrid

Care at a glance

Overview

A small, blunt-faced elephantfish that is nocturnal, shy, and electrically sensitive. Although some of its relatives shoal, it is best kept singly in the home aquarium, because in the small groups a tank usually allows it turns aggressive toward its own kind. Choose tankmates with caution: calm, similarly sized fish that will not outcompete it. Provide soft sand, plenty of cover, dim light, and very stable water. Feed small meaty foods such as bloodworm and blackworm after dark. A tank of around 160 liters suits a single fish.

In the wild

Petrocephalus simus is widespread in the Congo basin, living over sandy shallows in warm, softly flowing water. Set up a tank with a soft sand bed, driftwood and other cover, and low lighting, all of which help this timid, night-active fish settle. Keep the water warm at 24-28 C and soft to neutral, around pH 6-7.5, and hold conditions very steady, since elephantfishes react badly to swings in quality or to many medications.

Good to know

A member of the elephantfish family Mormyridae, this species reaches about 12 cm and has the blunt, rounded head that earns Petrocephalus the trade name churchill. Instead of a trunk it has a short, simple mouth, and it senses its surroundings with a weak electric organ discharge from the tail. Breeding is not recorded in aquaria.

Did you know

In tanks these fish flip between two social settings: kept in small numbers they fight, but in large groups of ten or more they settle into calm, coordinated schools, a switch few aquarists have the space to use.

Common questions

Related species

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• 

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• 

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