ERPETOICHTHYS CALABARICUS

Scientific name: Erpetoichthys calabaricus

Common Name: Fish snake calamita.

Origin: Located in West Africa, mainly in the mouth of the Ogun River and the Niger Delta. Also in the Congo River from Brazzaville to the mouth.

Habitat: Rivers of tropical Africa located in both freshwater and brackish water due to water turbidity suffering from poor vision.

Morphology: It is shaped like a snake with slightly flat head, lateral eyes, the upper jaw is longer than the bottom. It has a couple of small tentacles that help you detect food through mild electric currents. Curiously we found that its swim bladder acts as a lung and is attached to the intestine, so that hold up to 4 hours out water. It has a ventral coloration yellow or orange and a dorsal coloration brown or olive green with a black stain on the pectoral fins. In libertat you can reach 90 cm in length, but in aquariums is rare that exceed 40 cm.

Maintenance: At least 100 liter aquarium and preferably more than 1 meter long, due to the great length reached. Resistant plants with soft and sandy substrate. Caves and hideouts enough since fish are nocturnal and spend most of the day hidden in them. Must put caps to the aquarium since they are characterized by his hobby and skill to getaways.

PH: 6.0 - 8.0                         GH: 5º - 19º                               Temperature: 22º - 28º C.

Behavior: Not usually bother larger fish to, although it is a nocturnal predator with small fish. You have to cover very well the urn because he likes to escape from aquariums, although it may live a couple of hours out of the water thanks to its swim bladder adapted, this is the main cause of death of these fish.

Alimentation: Preferably food live and frozen such as worms, shrimp, insects, roundworms and small fish. If well adapted accept sticks and tablets background.

Reproduction: The first news came to us from the reproduction of this species in captivity came from the hand of Britz and Bartsch Germans in 1998. In the phase of courtship, the male swims beside of the female around the tank and when it's time spawning, hugs her to fertilize the eggs at the time of laying. Then form a stream with its caudal fin moving away the eggs until they stick in the decor. This act is performed repeatedly for at least a week to have put 300 and 600 eggs, placing 4 each time. The eggs hatch and to the third day the fry adhere to any surface thanks to a organ they have in the head. They must be fed with nauplios of artèmia.