Rope Fish (Erpetoichthys calabaricus) Care Guide
A fascinating snake-like fish with a long, flexible body covered in ganoid scales. Has primitive lungs and must breathe air at the surface.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Erpetoichthys calabaricus is a species in the family Polypteridae. A fascinating snake-like fish with a long, flexible body covered in ganoid scales. Has primitive lungs and must breathe air at the surface. Nocturnal and an expert escape artist that requires a tightly sealed tank. Peaceful but will eat anything that fits in its mouth.
Taxonomy
- Family: Polypteridae
- Genus: Erpetoichthys
- Scientific name: Erpetoichthys calabaricus
- Other names: Reed Fish, Snake Fish
- Origin: Africa, West Africa, Nigeria
Habitat
Erpetoichthys calabaricus is an elongate, eel-like bichir relative from slow, warm fresh and brackish waters of West Africa, including Nigeria. It breathes atmospheric air with a modified swim bladder, hunts at night for invertebrates and small fish, and readily escapes uncovered tanks.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 300 L
- Temperature: 24-28 °C
- pH: 6-7.5
- GH: 5-15 °dGH
- Water flow: low
- Adult size: 30-40 cm
- Lifespan: 10-20 years
- Recommended group size: ≥ 2
- Difficulty: intermediate
Diet
Classified as carnivore. Recommended feeding frequency: 1x daily. In captivity, offer a varied diet appropriate to the species — quality prepared foods supplemented with frozen or live items of suitable size.
Compatibility
- Temperament: peaceful
- Position in tank: bottom
- Compatible tank mates: Bichir, Large Peaceful Fish, Bristlenose Pleco
- Avoid with: Small Fish, Shrimp, Snails
Breeding
- Breeding strategy: egg-scatterer
- Breeding difficulty: advanced
Rope Fish Breeding Guide
Overview
Erpetoichthys calabaricus is an elongated, air-breathing fish from West and Central Africa. Spawning and hatching have been observed in captivity, but it has not yet been successfully bred to adulthood, and all aquarium fish are wild-caught.
Sexing
Males and females reach similar lengths, but females average heavier at a given length and the sexes can be reliably separated by the shape of the anal fin. Males tend toward olive-green colouring while females are more yellowish-brown.
Spawning Behavior
Females repeatedly deposit small batches of eggs between the anal fins of the male, where they are fertilised. The male then disperses the eggs among aquatic vegetation, to which they adhere.
Egg & Fry Care
Larvae hatch within roughly 70 hours and remain attached to vegetation. They become independent and begin to feed after about 22 days, once the yolk sac has been consumed. Carrying these fry through to adulthood has so far not been achieved in the aquarium.
Common Challenges
The barrier is not spawning but rearing: hatchlings have not been brought to adulthood under aquarium conditions, which is why the trade still depends on wild-caught fish.