Kingdom Animalia Order Perciformes Scientific name Monocirrhus polyacanthus Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Family Polycentridae Higher classification Monocirrhus | |
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Genus Monocirrhus
Heckel, 1840 Similar Polycentridae, Nandidae, Perciformes, Polycentrus, Freshwater butterflyfish | ||
Monocirrhus polyacanthus leaf fish swimming in the tropical rainforest
Monocirrhus polyacanthus, also known as the Amazon leaffish is a species of fish belonging to the Polycentridae family. It inhabits the often brackish waters, both clear and turbid, of Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia and Venezuela in the Amazon River basin. It reaches a maximum length of 8.0 centimetres (3.1 in). They are extremely specialized ambush predators that hunt by drifting towards prey animals (almost invariably another fish) and quickly swallowing them when they get close enough. These fish are sometimes kept in aquariums but are notoriously challenging aquarium inhabitants, requiring copious amounts of live fish (they can eat their body weight in fish daily) and soft, acidic, very clean water reminiscent of the amazonian habitats they hail from.
Contents
- Monocirrhus polyacanthus leaf fish swimming in the tropical rainforest
- Amazon leaf fish eating monocirrhus polyacanthus
- References
Amazon leaf fish eating monocirrhus polyacanthus
