Elephant nose fish

Care at a glance

The elephant nose fish from West Africa has no real trunk, but a mobile, extended chin appendage with which it probes the bottom for food. It generates weak electrical pulses to orient itself and even to communicate with its own kind, and has an exceptionally large brain relative to its body.

It is sensitive, shy and needs a mature tank with soft sand, plenty of hiding places and subdued light. It eats almost exclusively live or frozen food such as bloodworm and must be fed deliberately in the evening, because in the bustle of a community tank it never gets its share.

Good to know

• Active at night
• Needs a mature, stable tank
• Hard to wean onto dry food
• Outgrows most home tanks

Related species

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• Figure eight pufferDichotomyctere ocellatus
• RopefishErpetoichthys calabaricus