Elephantnose Fish (Gnathonemus petersii)

Fish in the family Mormyridae. Hard care. Freshwater.

Quick facts

Scientific nameGnathonemus petersii

FamilyMormyridae

Also known asPeters' Elephantnose, Elephant Nose

Care levelHard

Reef safetyFreshwater

TemperamentSemi-aggressive

DietCarnivore

Adult size9 in

Minimum tank size55 gallons

Water parametersTemp 75-82°F, pH 6.0-7.2, GH 3-12 dGH

Appearance

Dark brown body with a trunk-like extension of the lower jaw (the Schnauzenorgan) used to probe substrate, plus two pale chevron markings near the tail.

Difficulty and care for the Elephantnose Fish

Hard

Origin and habitat

West and Central Africa (Congo, Niger)

Keeper notes

Peaceful toward other species but highly territorial and aggressive toward conspecifics and other weakly-electric fish; keep singly or in a large group of five or more, never in pairs. Uses a weak electric field to navigate.

Log Elephantnose Fish in your reef tank

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