TankBud

Peppermint pikehead

Luciocephalus aura

Also known as Aura pikehead

FreshwaterFish

Peppermint pikehead (Luciocephalus aura)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
4.0–6.0
Adult size
4.7 in
12 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Mouthbrooder
Rarity
Rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Peat swamps of central Sumatra, Indonesia

Overview

The peppermint pikehead is a specialist ambush predator, not a community fish. It hangs almost motionless among roots and plants, waiting to strike. Only experienced keepers should take it on.

Did you know

When the peppermint pikehead feeds, its jaws unfold and shoot forward in an instant. They let it swallow prey nearly a third of its own length. This is one of the fastest and most extreme feeding strikes among freshwater fish.

Caring for the peppermint pikehead

Keep a peppermint pikehead singly or as a proven pair in a quiet, shaded tank of at least 29 gal (110 L). Furnish it with driftwood, dense cover and dried leaves, with dim light and gentle flow.

It needs pristine, soft, acidic water, with a low pH of 4.0 to 6.0 and a temperature of 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C). Mature, stable, spotlessly clean blackwater is essential for this demanding fish.

Most specimens want live food to start, such as small fish, shrimp and insects. Only some can be weaned onto frozen items.

It is aggressive toward anything it sees as food, so tank mates must be too large to swallow. Small fish and shrimp are simply prey. It is a paternal mouthbrooder, though breeding in aquariums is essentially unrecorded.

Good to know

Luciocephalus aura is a pikehead, an unusual predatory member of the labyrinth fish family Osphronemidae. Tan and Ng described it in 2005.

In the wild

The peppermint pikehead comes from forested peat swamps in central Sumatra, Indonesia. It lives among submerged roots and vegetation in very soft, dark, acidic water.

Common questions

What size tank does a peppermint pikehead need?

A peppermint pikehead needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a peppermint pikehead need?

A peppermint pikehead is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 4.0–6.0.

What does a peppermint pikehead eat?

Most peppermint pikeheads want live food to start, such as small fish, shrimp and insects. Only some can be weaned onto frozen items.

How big does a peppermint pikehead get?

An adult peppermint pikehead reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).

How does a peppermint pikehead breed?

The peppermint pikehead is a paternal mouthbrooder. Breeding in aquariums is essentially unrecorded.

Related species