Schomburgk's leaffish

Polycentrus schomburgkii

Also known as Guyana leaffish, South American leaffish

FreshwaterFish

Schomburgk's leaffish (Polycentrus schomburgkii) — Wilhelm Schreitmüller (1870-1945). · Public domain

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–82°F (22–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 3.9 in (10 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Native to coastal freshwaters of northern South America and Trinidad, among leaf litter and submerged roots in slow, shady water.
Family: Polycentridae

Overview

A small predator at around 10 cm, it suits a shady, planted tank of at least 75 litres with leaf litter and wood. Keep it at 22 to 28 C and pH 6.0 to 7.5. It will eat tiny fish and shrimp, so keep it alone or with tankmates too large to swallow. Feed live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp and small earthworms.

In the wild

Schomburgk's leaffish is a small ambush predator that drifts among roots and leaf litter looking like a dead leaf. Males turn almost black when breeding, while females stay a mottled brown. It hovers motionless and inhales small prey with a fast gulp.

Good to know

Polycentrus schomburgkii reaches around 10 cm and comes from coastal freshwaters of northern South America and Trinidad. It spawns in caves or under leaves, where the male guards the eggs. It belongs to the small New World leaffish family Polycentridae.