1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
A territorial ambush predator that eats fish under about 4 cm; best alone or as a pair with fish too large to eat.
248 species in our list are a good match.
A territorial ambush predator that eats fish under about 4 cm; best alone or as a pair with fish too large to eat.
Live and frozen foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp and small fish; accepts frozen mysis.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Males are velvety black with turquoise or silver spots and flecks; females are deep brown.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Cave spawner · Moderate
Cave spawner; eggs are laid in a cave, often on a leaf, and the male guards them for 3-4 days until the fry swim free. Fry are very cannibalistic if underfed.
A pair in a quiet tank with caves.
80 L planted tank with caves and driftwood.
Warm water and live food.
Up to 600 eggs in a cave; the male guards them until the fry are free-swimming, about 3-4 days.
The male guards the nest; fry feed on baby brine shrimp.
A small leaffish from Trinidad and the coastal rivers of the Guianas, Venezuela and Amapá, often in brackish water. Males turn velvety black with bright spots. It is an ambush predator that seldom accepts prepared foods and needs very clean water.
Johannes Müller and Franz Troschel described this fish in 1849 from collections made in Guyana. It is a small ambush predator kept by enthusiasts for its subtle colours.
First described by Johannes Müller & Franz H. Troschel in 1849. Named for Named after explorer Robert H. Schomburgk.
15 facts checked with sources
Older books sometimes use Polycentrus punctatus (Linnaeus 1758); ICZN Opinion 1954 (2000) conserved P. schomburgkii, so punctatus is now a synonym. P. tricolor Gill 1858 (Trinidad) is also a synonym. A second species, P. jundia Coutinho & Wosiacki 2014 from the Rio Negro, exists; check imports from Brazil.
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: genus PolycentrusLegacy has no family; sourced value recorded.
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: genus Polycentrus · FishBase: Polycentrus schomburgkii summarySL (standard length). No Seriously Fish profile exists for this species. Legacy 10 cm is almost double the sourced maximum.
FishBase: Polycentrus schomburgkii summary · Wikipedia: Polycentrus schomburgkii (cites FishBase and aquarium literature)Only FishBase gives a range (aquarium reference 13371). Legacy upper 28 not supported.
FishBase: Polycentrus schomburgkii summaryOnly FishBase gives a range.
FishBase: Polycentrus schomburgkii summaryLegacy has no hardness. FishBase 18-20 dH conflicts with Wikipedia (soft water); the species also lives in brackish water, so hard water may be tolerated. Reviewer should treat this range with caution.
FishBase: Polycentrus schomburgkii summary · Wikipedia: Polycentrus schomburgkii (cites FishBase and aquarium literature)Only Wikipedia gives a size (10 US gal = ~38 L), uncited; not enough to record.
Wikipedia: Polycentrus schomburgkii (cites FishBase and aquarium literature)Predatory; no source rates aggression.
Wikipedia: Polycentrus schomburgkii (cites FishBase and aquarium literature)No source names a swimming level.
FishBase: Polycentrus schomburgkii summaryLegacy 2 (moderate) and legacy story ("much hardier than the Amazon leaffish") are not supported; only source is Wikipedia, last resort.
Wikipedia: Polycentrus schomburgkii (cites FishBase and aquarium literature)Legacy has no range field.
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: genus Polycentrus · FishBase: Polycentrus schomburgkii summaryWikipedia only (last resort).
Wikipedia: Polycentrus schomburgkii (cites FishBase and aquarium literature)Wikipedia only (last resort).
Wikipedia: Polycentrus schomburgkii (cites FishBase and aquarium literature)Legacy 100-300 is below the sourced maximum of 600.
FishBase: Polycentrus schomburgkii summary · Wikipedia: Polycentrus schomburgkii (cites FishBase and aquarium literature)Legacy claim that it is "much hardier" and "often easier to wean off live food" is not supported.
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: genus Polycentrus · Wikipedia: Polycentrus schomburgkii (cites FishBase and aquarium literature)