BlackGhost Fish

Native

The black ghost knifefish, Apteronotus albifrons, is a tropical fish belonging to the ghost knifefish family (Apteronotidae). They originate in South America in the Amazon Basin in Peru and from Venezuela through Paraguay in the Paraná Rivers.

Description

They are becoming popular in aquaria. The fish is all black except for two white rings on its tail, and a white blaze on its nose, which can occasionally extend into a stripe down its back. It moves mainly by using a long fin on its underside. It will grow to a maximum length of 25 inches (60 centimeters). They are nocturnal, but they are weakly electric fish and use an electric organ and receptors distributed over the length of their body in order to find insect larvae. They should not be kept with neon tetras and other very small fish because the black ghost knifefish will eat the small fish. In the aquarium black ghost knifefish will eat carnivore pellets, bloodworms and feeder fish. They will also eat peas, earthworms and frozen community fish foods.