Elephant trunk mormyrid
Campylomormyrus elephas
Also known as Elephas elephantnose
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–82°F
- 24–28°C
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 15.7 in
- 40 cm
- Minimum tank
- 119 gal
- 450 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
- Congo basin
Overview
The elephant trunk mormyrid is a large elephantfish that roots through the bottom with a long, curved trunk. It is a demanding fish for experienced keepers.
Did you know
The elephant trunk mormyrid's trunk is not a nose at all but a downward extension of its jaws. The genus name Campylomormyrus simply records the kink, meaning bent or curved mormyrid.
Caring for the elephant trunk mormyrid
Set up an elephant trunk mormyrid in a tank of at least 119 gal (450 L). It needs open areas of deep, soft sand to probe without harming its snout, alongside wood and stone for cover. Keep the lighting low and the current gentle.
Hold the water warm and soft to neutral, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Keep the quality pristine and very steady. Feed meaty sinking foods such as earthworm and bloodworm in the evening.
Keep just one, since it will not tolerate its own kind in the space an aquarium offers. Choose tank mates with caution, picking calm, sizeable fish that will not compete for food or nip at it. Its breeding is not recorded in aquaria.
Good to know
The elephant trunk mormyrid belongs to the family Mormyridae and has one of the longest, most strongly curved snouts in its genus. The trunk is flexible and tipped with electroreceptors. It reads its world through a weak electric field. It is also called the Elephas elephantnose.
In the wild
The elephant trunk mormyrid lives in the flowing rivers of the Congo River basin. It probes sandy and muddy river floors with its curved snout.
Common questions
What size tank does an elephant trunk mormyrid need?
An elephant trunk mormyrid needs at least 119 gal (450 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does an elephant trunk mormyrid need?
An elephant trunk mormyrid is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.
What does an elephant trunk mormyrid eat?
An elephant trunk mormyrid eats meaty sinking foods such as earthworm and bloodworm. Feed it in the evening.
How big does an elephant trunk mormyrid get?
An adult elephant trunk mormyrid reaches about 15.7 in (40 cm).
Related species
8.7 in (22 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Curved snout mormyrid
Campylomormyrus rhynchophorus
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15.7 in (40 cm)172 gal (650 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Blunt-jawed elephantnose
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11.4 in (29 cm)79 gal (300 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Eel mormyrid
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29.5 in (75 cm)185 gal (700 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Eastern bottlenose mormyrid
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