Royal knifefish

Chitala blanci

Also known as Indochina featherback, Blanc's knifefish, Royal clown knife

FreshwaterFish

Royal knifefish (Chitala blanci) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 6.2–7.8
Adult size: 39.4 in (100 cm)
Minimum tank: 317 gal (1,200 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Mekong basin
Family: Notopteridae

Overview

The royal knifefish is a giant featherback that grows to about a meter, a fish only for very large, custom systems. Keep one to a tank; it is a solitary, night-active predator that leaves large tankmates alone but eats anything it can fit in its mouth, so any companions must be big, calm, and unswallowable. It is nervous and prone to bolting, so give it a long tank with dim light, driftwood, and open cruising lanes, plus a heavy, well-sealed lid. Feed meaty foods such as fish fillet, prawn, mussel, and earthworms, weaning it off live fish where possible. Plan realistically on 1200 liters or more.

In the wild

The royal knifefish, or Indochina featherback, hunts the deeper channels of the Mekong basin, moving at night and sheltering in cover by day. A tank for it needs great length, subdued lighting, driftwood, and quiet, open water. Keep it warm, from about 24 to 28 C, with a near-neutral pH between 6.2 and 7.8. This is a river giant, so the scale of the system matters more than any aquascaping detail.

Good to know

Chitala blanci is a featherback in the family Notopteridae and can pass a meter in length in the wild. It resembles the clown knifefish but is marked differently: instead of that fish's large ringed spots, it carries small dark spots that merge into oblique bars along the rear body and fins. It swims with the long anal fin that defines the family. Its breeding is not recorded in home aquaria.

Did you know

Its long anal fin runs almost the whole underside and beats in a rippling wave, which lets the royal knifefish glide backward just as smoothly as it moves forward.