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Petherick's bushfish

Ctenopoma petherici

Also known as Petherici ctenopoma, Petherich's bushfish

FreshwaterFish

Petherick's bushfish (Ctenopoma petherici)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
6.9 in
17.5 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer
Rarity
Rare
Family
Anabantidae
Origin
Nile and Congo through West African basins

Overview

Petherick's bushfish is the largest of its group, a plain olive ambush predator for a roomy, shaded tank. It needs space and is of medium difficulty.

Did you know

Petherick's bushfish honors John Petherick, a Welsh ivory trader and consul who explored the Nile in the mid-1800s. He sent the first specimen back to science. Its range covers about as much of the map as his travels did.

Caring for the Petherick's bushfish

Give Petherick's bushfish a spacious, structured tank of at least 53 gal (200 L). Use dense planting, wood, caves and shaded cover over a soft bottom, with places for it to lie in wait and hunt from.

It likes warm, soft to neutral water at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, with calm flow. Feed it earthworms, prawn, mussel and large frozen or sinking foods.

Petherick's bushfish is mostly peaceful for its size but will swallow any fish that fits in its mouth. Keep it only with robust companions over about half its own length, chosen with care. It is not a shoaling fish, but you can keep it singly or in a small group.

Like other true Ctenopoma, it scatters floating eggs and leaves them without parental care. It has no established aquarium breeding record.

Good to know

Ctenopoma petherici is an African labyrinth fish of the family Anabantidae, described from the Nile in 1864. Like all anabantids, it breathes air at the surface through a labyrinth organ, which lets it hold on in warm, oxygen-poor water. It is also sold as the petherici ctenopoma, and the name is sometimes spelled Petherich's bushfish.

In the wild

Petherick's bushfish ranges across a broad band of Africa, from the rivers of West Africa east through the Lake Chad basin to the White Nile. It lives in swamps, floodplains and slow river reaches with plenty of vegetation.

Common questions

What size tank does a Petherick's bushfish need?

A Petherick's bushfish needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Petherick's bushfish need?

A Petherick's bushfish is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a Petherick's bushfish eat?

A Petherick's bushfish eats earthworms, prawn, mussel and large frozen or sinking foods. It is an ambush predator and will swallow any fish that fits in its mouth.

How big does a Petherick's bushfish get?

An adult Petherick's bushfish reaches about 6.9 in (17.5 cm).

How does a Petherick's bushfish breed?

A Petherick's bushfish scatters floating eggs and gives them no parental care. It has no established breeding record in aquariums.

Related species