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: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Nile and Congo through West African basins
Family: Anabantidae

Overview

Petherick's bushfish is the largest of this group, a plain olive ambush predator that needs room and tankmates it cannot eat. It is mostly peaceful for its size but will swallow any fish that fits in its mouth, so keep it only with robust companions over about half its own length and choose them with care. It is not a shoaling fish, but it can be kept singly or in a small group given a spacious, structured tank. Give it wood, caves, and shade to hunt from. Feed it earthworms, prawn, mussel, and large frozen or sinking foods. A tank of around 200 liters gives it space to settle.

In the wild

Ctenopoma petherici ranges across a broad band of Africa, from the rivers of West Africa east through the Lake Chad basin to the White Nile, in swamps, floodplains, and slow river reaches with plenty of vegetation. Recreate that with dense planting, wood, and shaded cover over a soft bottom. It likes warm, soft to neutral water, about 23 to 28 C at roughly pH 6.0 to 7.5, with calm flow and places to lie in wait.

Good to know

Ctenopoma petherici is an African labyrinth fish of the family Anabantidae, reaching about 17.5 centimeters, and was described from the Nile in 1864. As a true Ctenopoma it scatters floating eggs and gives no parental care, so it has no established aquarium breeding record. Like all anabantids it breathes air at the surface through a labyrinth organ, which lets it hold on in warm, oxygen-poor water.

Did you know

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