Dalmatian Ghost Knifefish (10 cm)
£43.80
Please note, due to variations within species, your item may not look identical to the image provided.
The Dalmatian Ghost Knifefish (often sold as the Marble, Pied, or White Leopard Ghost Knifefish) is a rare, selectively bred color variant of the classic Black Ghost Knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons)
5 in stock
Livestock delivery
Under £100£24.99
£100–£199£19.95
£200+FREE
UK mainland only, sent by DX Couriers. Or collect free from our Fenton store.
Description
Description and Appearance
- Colouration: Unlike the solid black body of the wild-type fish, the Dalmatian variant features a pale white, pinkish, or cream base speckled with black or dark marbling/spots (resembling a Dalmatian dog or a pied pattern).
- Size: They grow to an average of 40 – 50cm (18 to 20 inches) in adulthood.
- Lifespan: Can live 10 to 15 years with proper care.
Habitat and Origin
- Region: Found in South America, ranging from Venezuela to the Paraguay–Paraná River system and the Amazon Basin.
- Natural Environment: Prefers fast-moving, sandy-bottom creeks and deep river channels in tropical climates.
Behaviour and Special Traits
- Electricity: Generates continuous weak electric organ discharges to navigate, hunt, and communicate via active and passive electrolocation. They cannot deliver strong shocks.
- Movement: Uses ribbon-fin movement to glide forward or backward with equal ease while keeping its body rigid.
- Habits: Strictly nocturnal and often shy during the day, requiring ample hiding spots like caves or PVC tubes.
- Sensitivity: Because they are scaleless, they are extra sensitive to water quality swings, high nitrates, and certain medications (such as copper-based treatments).
- Diet: Carnivorous. They feed on meaty foods including bloodworms, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, blackworms, and small sinking carnivore pellets. They can often be trained to hand-feed.
- Tank Mates: Best kept with calm, peaceful fish that are too large to fit in their mouth (such as angelfish, medium-sized gouramis, or earth-eating cichlids). They can be territorial toward other knifefish and are generally recommended as a single specimen per tank.
Aquarium Care
- Tank Size: Requires a large aquarium of at least 100 gallons due to its adult size.
- Water Parameters: Prefers a temperature of 73–82°F (23–28°C) and a pH level between 6.0 and 8.0.
- Diet: Carnivorous hunter that feeds on insect larvae, small crustaceans, and frozen or live foods like bloodworms and brine shrimp.
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