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: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Peat swamps of central Sumatra, Indonesia
Family: Osphronemidae

Overview

The peppermint pikehead is a specialist ambush predator, not a community fish, and it is best kept singly or as a proven pair in a quiet, shaded tank of at least 110 liters. It hangs almost motionless in the middle water among roots and plants, waiting to strike. It is aggressive toward anything it sees as food, so tankmates must be too large to swallow, and small fish and shrimp are simply prey. Most specimens want live food to start, small fish, shrimp, and insects, and only some can be weaned onto frozen items. It needs pristine, soft, acidic water and calm, dim surroundings to do well.

In the wild

Luciocephalus aura comes from forested peat swamps in central Sumatra, Indonesia, where it hangs among submerged roots and vegetation in very soft, dark, acidic water. Recreate that with driftwood, dense cover, dried leaves, dim light, and gentle flow. Hold the pH low, from 4.0 to 6.0, and the temperature from 22 to 26 degrees Celsius. Mature, stable, spotlessly clean blackwater is essential for this demanding fish.

Good to know

Luciocephalus aura is a pikehead, an unusual predatory member of the labyrinth fish family Osphronemidae, described by Tan and Ng in 2005 and reaching about 12 centimeters. It is a paternal mouthbrooder, though breeding in aquaria is essentially unrecorded. Its most remarkable feature is a set of highly protrusible jaws that shoot forward to engulf prey, letting it take animals a third of its own length.

Did you know

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