Clown-spotted leporinus

Leporinus nijsseni

Also known as Nijssen's leporinus

FreshwaterFish

Clown-spotted leporinus (Leporinus nijsseni) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–81°F (22–27°C)
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 6.7 in (17 cm)
Minimum tank: 70 gal (265 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Suriname and French Guiana rivers
Family: Anostomidae

Overview

The clown-spotted leporinus is an active, mid-sized characin that spends much of its day working the substrate and lower water for food. It is a social fish that can be kept on its own or in a group, but like other leporinus it can be pushy with its own kind and will nip at slow, long-finned tankmates, so give it space, keep it with robust community fish, and treat delicate species with caution. It is a confirmed plant grazer, so expect soft plants to be sampled. Feed a varied diet of sinking pellets, algae wafers, vegetables such as blanched courgette, and frozen foods. Allow around 265 liters or more, and fit a tight lid, as leporinus jump.

In the wild

This species comes from the clear to lightly stained coastal rivers of Suriname and French Guiana, over sand and among wood and stone. Give it an open sandy floor with a few smooth rocks and driftwood, moderate flow, and clean, oxygen-rich water. Keep temperatures around 22 to 27 C and the pH from soft and acidic to neutral, roughly 5.5 to 7.5.

Good to know

A member of the headstander family Anostomidae, it reaches about 17 centimeters and wears rounded black spots ringed with pale yellow, the marking that gives it the clown name. It was described in 1990. Aquarium breeding is not recorded for it.

Did you know

Its name honors Han Nijssen, the Dutch ichthyologist who spent much of his career cataloging the freshwater fishes of Suriname and the wider Guianas, the same rivers this fish comes from.