Clown Knifefish care guide
Clown Knifefish (Chitala ornata) — minimum tank 800 L, temperature 24-28 °C, pH 6-7.5.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
The Clown Knifefish (Chitala ornata) is a large featherback fish from Southeast Asia, reaching up to 60 cm and occasionally larger in the wild. It has a deep, laterally compressed silver body with a row of large dark ocelli (eye-spots) along the flanks and a long undulating anal fin fused to the small caudal fin.
Taxonomy
- Family: Notopteridae
- Genus: Chitala
- Scientific name: Chitala ornata
- Common synonyms: Spotted Knifefish
Habitat
Native to the Mekong, Chao Phraya and Maeklong river basins of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The species inhabits slow-moving rivers, lakes and floodplains, often near submerged wood, dense weed-beds and overhanging banks, where it hunts at night.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 800 L (211.3 US gal)
- Adult size: 40-60 cm
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 6-7.5
- GH: 2-15 °dGH
- Water flow: moderate
- Lifespan: 10-20 years
Diet
A piscivorous predator that takes fish, crustaceans and large insects. In aquaria it accepts large sinking pellets, frozen krill, prawn, mussel and earthworms; live feeders are not necessary and carry disease risk. Juveniles feed several times a week, adults less frequently.
Compatibility
Predatory and will eat fish small enough to swallow whole — and it has a very large mouth. Tank mates should be similarly sized, robust species: large plecos, Tinfoil Barbs, Datnoides, large Geophagus or Oscars. Best kept singly; adult conspecifics are intolerant of each other in standard aquaria.
Breeding
Captive breeding is rare in home aquaria but practised on a commercial scale in Southeast Asian food-fish farms. The species is a substrate spawner; eggs are deposited on submerged wood or rock and guarded by the male.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. The species is widespread in Southeast Asia and is also farmed as a food fish; however, feral populations from the aquarium trade have established in Florida and elsewhere.
Clown Knifefish Breeding Guide
Overview
Chitala ornata is a large predatory featherback. It is a seasonal, substrate-attaching spawner that, in nature, reproduces from March to August with a peak in April to May. The species appears in aquaculture and ornamental-fish breeders have raised juveniles, but no specific home-aquarium breeding success is documented.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Spawning is seasonal, observed from March to August and peaking in April to May. Eggs are laid on stable surfaces such as vegetation and submerged wood, which provide a safer, stable substrate. Larger females are more likely to be courted.
Egg & Fry Care
Females lay 300 to 500 eggs at a time. The eggs are spherical, transparent with a milky-yellow tone, and have an adhesive surface with projections. The male guards the nest, becoming defensive and hostile toward potential predators, and fans the fertilised eggs to supply dissolved oxygen during incubation.
Common Challenges
The principal obstacles for home breeding are the predatory temperament and very large adult size, which make it difficult to keep and condition a pair together safely. Successful rearing is mainly reported from aquaculture and dedicated ornamental breeders rather than home aquaria.