Reedfish
Encyclopedia
The Reedfish, Erpetoichthys calabaricus, Ropefish (a name more commonly used in the United States), or Snakefish is a species
of freshwater
fish
in the bichir
family
and order
. It is the only member
of the genus
Erpetoichthys. It is native to West Africa
, with its natural habitat stretching from Nigeria
to The Congo
.
The Reedfish has a maximum total length of 37 centimetres (14.5 inches). It lives in slow-moving, brackish or fresh water
, warm water (22-28 °C), and it can breathe atmospheric air (meaning it is able to survive in water with low dissolved oxygen
content) using a pair of lung
s. This organ means it can survive for an intermediate amount of time out of water. The Reedfish is a nocturnal creature that feeds on annelid
worms, crustacean
s and insect
s at night, and it is sometimes displayed in aquarium
s. Its genus
name, Erpetoichthys, derives from the Greek words erpeton ("creeping thing") and ichthys ("fish"). The genus is also known by the name Calamoichthys.
for larger fish. Some Reedfish also have an inclination to stay close to the water surface where it will be safe from other fish and will even allow most of its body to leave the water at times. An easy way to test if your reedfish has the need is to put a breeding tank with a cover on the side of the tank, it will soon nestle himself on top if it if need be. The fish are notorious escape artists and can jump a great distance, so the aquarium should have a tightly-fitting lid without large holes; many novice fishkeepers have rescued their reedfish from desiccation
after finding their Reedfish on the floor only just alive. Dust, common on most household floors, can easily dry out a reedfish before it is rescued. It is best to reduce the water level if it is not possible to completely seal the tank. Reedfish escape most often during the night when they are most active.
Maintaining a healthy tank environment is not especially difficult as the reed fish is quite hardy- its tough scales will stay mainly intact even if it jumps out of a tank. Water temperature should be between 22 and 28 °C
(72 and 83 °F
) with 6.5-7.5 pH
levels. Providing hiding places to reduce stress will also be appreciated. Juveniles can be kept in a 75 liter (20 US gallon) tank, but adults will need more space due to their size and eating habits. Although there have been people that have had adults in tanks smaller than 100L, they do better in big tanks. The water does not have to be especially clean and pure as a reedfish's natural habitat is often eutrophic and low in oxygen, yet other fish in the tank may not be compatible with slightly unclean water.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
in the bichir
Bichir
The bichirs are a family, Polypteridae, of archaic-looking ray-finned fishes, the sole family in the order Polypteriformes.All species occur in freshwater habitats in tropical Africa and the Nile River system, mainly swampy, shallow floodplains and estuaries.-Anatomy and appearance:Bichirs are...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
and order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
. It is the only member
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Erpetoichthys. It is native to West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, with its natural habitat stretching from Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
to The Congo
Congo Basin
The Congo Basin is the sedimentary basin that is the drainage of the Congo River of west equatorial Africa. The basin begins in the highlands of the East African Rift system with input from the Chambeshi River, the Uele and Ubangi Rivers in the upper reaches and the Lualaba River draining wetlands...
.
The Reedfish has a maximum total length of 37 centimetres (14.5 inches). It lives in slow-moving, brackish or fresh water
Fresh Water
Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...
, warm water (22-28 °C), and it can breathe atmospheric air (meaning it is able to survive in water with low dissolved oxygen
Oxygen saturation
Oxygen saturation or dissolved oxygen is a relative measure of the amount of oxygen that is dissolved or carried in a given medium. It can be measured with a dissolved oxygen probe such as an oxygen sensor or an optode in liquid media, usually water.It has particular significance in medicine and...
content) using a pair of lung
Lung
The lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart...
s. This organ means it can survive for an intermediate amount of time out of water. The Reedfish is a nocturnal creature that feeds on annelid
Annelid
The annelids , formally called Annelida , are a large phylum of segmented worms, with over 17,000 modern species including ragworms, earthworms and leeches...
worms, crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s and insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s at night, and it is sometimes displayed in aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
s. Its genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
name, Erpetoichthys, derives from the Greek words erpeton ("creeping thing") and ichthys ("fish"). The genus is also known by the name Calamoichthys.
In the aquarium
Reedfish are inquisitive, peaceful, and have some "personality." Since they have a peaceful nature other fish may 'bully' a reedfish, despite its large size, especially if there is competition in the fish tank for food or space. They have been known to jump out of aquariums and slither around. This is because they have a pair of lungs along with their gills. Although nocturnal, reedfish will sometimes come out during the day, and this can be encouraged by daytime feeding of bloodworms or nightcrawlersNightcrawlers
Nightcrawlers are a form of earthworm. Prized primarily for use as fishing bait, nightcrawlers are generally known as either Canadian or European...
for larger fish. Some Reedfish also have an inclination to stay close to the water surface where it will be safe from other fish and will even allow most of its body to leave the water at times. An easy way to test if your reedfish has the need is to put a breeding tank with a cover on the side of the tank, it will soon nestle himself on top if it if need be. The fish are notorious escape artists and can jump a great distance, so the aquarium should have a tightly-fitting lid without large holes; many novice fishkeepers have rescued their reedfish from desiccation
Desiccation
Desiccation is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container.-Science:...
after finding their Reedfish on the floor only just alive. Dust, common on most household floors, can easily dry out a reedfish before it is rescued. It is best to reduce the water level if it is not possible to completely seal the tank. Reedfish escape most often during the night when they are most active.
Feeding and care
In captivity the reedfish will readily accept bloodworms and most other frozen foods that sink to the bottom of the tank. If kept with other fast eating fish it is best to put the Reedfish's food in a narrow tube which only he would be able to enter, or feed it bloodworms by hand. He will find the food by smell. If this setup is kept in the same spot in the tank he would soon learn where to find food when he is hungry. They tolerate their own species and can often be found nestled together behind or under plants and/or decorations, especially ornaments such as 'caves' because they feel sheltered and safe.Maintaining a healthy tank environment is not especially difficult as the reed fish is quite hardy- its tough scales will stay mainly intact even if it jumps out of a tank. Water temperature should be between 22 and 28 °C
Celsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
(72 and 83 °F
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
) with 6.5-7.5 pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
levels. Providing hiding places to reduce stress will also be appreciated. Juveniles can be kept in a 75 liter (20 US gallon) tank, but adults will need more space due to their size and eating habits. Although there have been people that have had adults in tanks smaller than 100L, they do better in big tanks. The water does not have to be especially clean and pure as a reedfish's natural habitat is often eutrophic and low in oxygen, yet other fish in the tank may not be compatible with slightly unclean water.