Species Profile

Elephant Nose Fish

Gnathonemus petersii

Oddballspeaceful

Adult size

10″

Minimum tank

75 gal

Temperature

75–82°F

6.5–7.2

Schooling

Solitary OK

Water level

bottom

Grows from juvenile

Typically sold at ~3″ and reaches 10″ over ~2 years. Plan tank size for the adult, not the fish at purchase.

Diet

Frozen bloodworms, live, sinking pellets

Notes

West African mormyrid that navigates and finds food via weak electrical pulses through the trunk-like 'nose'. Surprisingly intelligent and recognizes the keeper. Sensitive to chemical medications and water quality.

Build a tank →Photo credits

Photo: GnathoMichel / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC-BY-SA-3.0