the clown featherback , clown knifefish , or spotted knifefish , chitala ornata , is a nocturnal tropical fish with a long , knife-like body .

this knifefish is native to freshwater habitats in cambodia , laos , thailand and vietnam , but it has also been introduced to regions outside its native range .

it is one of world 's most invasive species .

it is often seen in aquaculture and the aquarium trade where frequently confused with chitala chitala ; the latter species is very rare in the aquarium trade .

despite its popularity , the clown featherback reaches 1 m ( 3.3 ft ) in length , outgrowing all but the largest aquaria .

clown featherback

also known as belida fish , featherback fish , chitala ornata , clown knife fish , 七星飛刀鱼 . this fish is native in southeast asia and also popular as aquarium fish . mrpurerain
the normal coloring of the clown knifefish is a silvery gray characterized by a variable pattern of large spots above the base of the anal fin . yet sometimes they may have no spots at all , and sometimes they may have two rows of smaller spots . other common names it is known by are clown featherback fish , spotted knifefish , spotted featherback fish , and clown knife . there is also an albino color form as seen in the picture above that ' s called the albino clown knifefish .
the featherbacks have other common names while some people actually call them clown knife , they are all referring to the same type of fish belonging to the same family . most of the featherback species including
was described by gray in 1831 . they are found in south east asia ; thailand , laos , cambodia , and vietnam . the species is not listed on the iucn red list . these fish are in great demand in many of the regions they live in for food . other common names they are known by include clown featherback fish , spotted knifefish , spotted featherback fish , and clown knife . the albino color form is known as the albino clown knifefish .
clown loach eats snails , including mts . if you’d like to decrease the population of snails in a tank , just put clown loach in a tank .
clown knife fish are very popular as food fish in their native land throughout asia .
which comes from india and is also a common import . this species is also called the clown knifefish as wells as royal clown knifefish , royal spotted knifefish and spotted featherback . the coloring and behaviors of these two are the same but the india species is said to get a bit larger , reaching up to 4 feet ( 122 cm ) . the
15 years - the clown knife fish has a lifespan of about 8 - 15 years in captivity .
the clown knife does not have scales which make it more prone to disease . clown knife are normally the first fish in a tank to show signs of ick and will twitch and rub around the tank . they respond well to most medication and normally heal quickly . never use copper in a clown knife fish tank .
wow nice info and profile their liz . . . mind if i add my two clown knifes ? ? ?
worldwidetropicals live freshwater aquarium fish - 3
clown loach fish - chromobotia macracanthus - by live tropical . . .
pant food should be added to clown loach diet : special tablets , cucumber , lettuce leaves , spinach and peeled squash .
as a rule freshwater fish is a night one , so it is almost unnoticeable during the day time , however it doesn’t concern clown loach .
since 2004 clown loach was officially classified as a separate kind of loaches family with greek name chromobotia . swiss ichthyologist maurice kottelat initiated this change .
knifefish have slender , elongated , bodies , giving them a knife - like appearance . the caudal fin is small and fused with the anal fin , which runs most of the length of the body . where present , the dorsal fin is small and narrow , giving rise to the common name of
featherback .
which you can try it out but i think if that suits them well , providing to your featherback should be fine as well . in terms of reproductive behavior , little is known about how they mate and produce young offspring and till date , there has been no report of captive breeding taking place in home aquarium .
chitala chitala : rare and endangered . . . not likely to be readily available to the hobby , yet the scientific name is also used to describe the clown knife
also known as clown knifefish , spotted featherback , spotted knifefish . found in freshwater flowing rivers and pools moving into inundated forest areas during high water periods . they feed nocturnally on fish , crustaceans and insects . length - 100cm depth - ? m widespread asia rare in the aquarium trade as outgrows the largest tank ! notopterids have specialized swim bladders . the organ extends throughout the body and even into the fins and can absorb oxygen from air and also functions to produce sound by squeezing air . ref : urltoken
but after the fish had its rest it continues swimming . often clown loach lays on a side when ph is low because the water in a tank wasn’t renewed timely .
clown loach has very thin scales almost ingrowing into its body . this is kind of problem since the fish’s skin doesn’t protect it from toxic substances dissolved in a tank water .
clown loaches tank should be spacious since the fish grows to be rather large – up to 16 - 20 cm long . the fish likes thickly planted tanks with lots of different covers .
when shopping for a clown knife , avoid fish that are under 3 inches or over 6 inches . the smaller ones are relatively delicate and the larger ones can be harder to get feeding .
the clown loach ( chromobotia macracanthus also tiger loach , tiger botia ) is one of the most beautiful tank fishes from the loaches family . it’s valued for its nice coloring and bright individuality .
when young , these fish are comfortable in groups , but as they mature , they much prefer to live singly . adult specimens will not tolerate another clown knife or similar species in their tank , though , there has been success with raising young clown knives together to adulthood . they also cannot be kept with smaller fish of any kind , as anything small enough to fit in their mouth will be considered as food and they will often take a snap at larger fish , just on the off chance they may get a meal out of it . clown knives tolerate large tankmates quite well , often ignoring attempts by territorial cichlids to chase them off . this can sometimes lead to problems with injuries being inflicted , although the clown will usually retreat to its hiding place before any major conflict occurs .
bottom - clown knifefish will spend most of their time in the middle or near the bottom of the tank , but they may occasionally go to the surface to grab a gulp of air or a meal .
: small fish will be eaten , so combine with other large fish . the clown knifefish likes to form small , loose schools when young . adults become more aggressive and territorial and should be kept singly .
although , in the majority of references it’s said that clown loach max size is about 30 cm , in the wild there can be seen species about 40 cm long and lifespan is up to 20 years .
both pills and vegetables – squash , cucumber , lettuce can be fed to clown loaches . in general , for this fish the amount of plant feed in its diet should be up to 40 % from total amount .
i got myself for the second time a chitala ornata / clown featherback , and with 24 hours it died , both times ! first time a got a smaller one , around 5
, and 2nd time around 15
. both times died during the day , not the first night . no damage on their bodies was found , so i rule out that it was killed by any other fish . my water params are great , i regularly check them . all other fish looks great ! temp 26 degrees celsius , 450litres tank . can anyone please advice what ' s wrong ? i ' m so frustrated about this . . . thanks ! !
clown loach fish chromobotia macracanthus ( earlier named botia macrocanthus ) was first described in 1852 . peter bleeker ( dutch doctor , ichthyologist ) was the first who mentioned this fish kind and classified the fish as a loaches fish class .
the fish has some bad habits – they gladly eat plants , they even bite holes in echinodorus plants . if there is enough of plant food in the clown loach diet is decreases the damage the fish does to the tank plants .
the majority of clown loaches is taken from their habitats in the wild , where the fish lives in forest streams and rivers in south - west asia . in tanks the fish grows slowly and very seldom it reaches its max size .
when young , these fish are comfortable in groups , but as they mature , they much prefer to live singly . adult specimens will often not tolerate another clown knife or similar species in their tank . they also cannot be kept with smaller fish of any kind , as anything small enough to fit in their mouth will be considered as food and they will often take a snap at larger fish , just on the off chance they may get a meal out of it . clown knifes tolerate large tankmates quite well , often ignoring attempts by territorial cichlids to chase them off . this can sometimes lead to problems with injuries being inflicted , although the clown will usually retreat to its hiding place before any major conflict occurs .
they prefer a neutral ph and softer water , but larger fish can adapt to a higher ph and hard water . provide them with well filtered water , a dimly lit tank and hiding places , and you should have a happy clown knife .
it is rather difficult to breed botia fish in a tank . in some references there is some information about successful breeding of the fish in a tank . however , mainly freshwater clown loach breeding is performed in the fish farms using some hormones injections .
clown knifefish is generally found around submerged structure ( e . g . , rocks , wood , aquatic vegetation ) in lakes or deeper pools of rivers . submerged structure is used as a daytime refuge as well as a spawning substrate . reproduction occurs from march to july , with eggs deposited on submerged wood and guarding of eggs and fry performed by one of the parents . clown knifefish are carnivorous , consuming crustaceans , insects , and fishes . this is a nocturnally active species ( poulsen et al . 2004 )
there is no known way to sex clown knife fish , and breeding in home aquariums is currently unknown . due to the size of the tank required to house two full grown clowns , attempting to breed this fish would be beyond the means of most aquarium keepers .
clown loach has 4 pairs of barbels – these are vibrissas that help the fish to find food in muddy water of its native rivers . one can feel how the fish attacks by shooting with protective spine with chattering noise when taking the fish out of the tank .
botia macracantha is rather large fish in the wild , but in a tank it won’t grow large . in the nature clown loach max size is up to 30 cm , in a tank – the fish is maximum 20 cm long ( depending on tank conditions and care ) .
the clown knife fish can get as big as up to about 3 . 5 feet ( 100cm ) and usually weigh about 11 pounds ( 5kg ) in the wild mostly . however most of the tank raised specimens will not grow much bigger than 10 - 20 inches ( 25 to 50 cm ) .
he clown knife fish are carnivores in the wild . they are predatory animals , primary piscivores , which means they mostly eat fish . but in aquarium they like to eat fresh foods like worms or small fish . but they can be groom to eat sinking pellets or some other dried food of substance .
it is a very popular knifefish . this is partly because of its common availability and being relatively inexpensive . but its also a favorite because it is extremely attractive . they usually have a pattern of large spots , but this can be quite variable and it seems that no two clown knifefish are exactly alike .
i have a juvenile clown knife in a 55 gal with my 5 angels , which range from 4 inches tall to 6 inches tall , and they leave each other alone . however , the clown knife is a predatory fish , so anything under an inch has been eaten . i think my clown knife is growing at a few centimeters a month , and will be selling it when it reaches 12 inches . i wouldn ' t keep a full - grown knifefish with anything less than a couple hundred gallon tank and fish that were at least a foot or two in length , as the bigger knife fishes can grow to 3 and a half feet long . with your fish , keep in mind how big the angelfish are and how big they will be compared to the knife fish . ( ps : i also have a dwarf gourami that was a gift from a friend , a pleco as big as the knife fish , some clown loaches , and a small catfish that ' s about 2 1 / 2 inches , and none of them have been harassed by my knife so far . keep your fish well - fed and i doubt anything too big to be eaten will be a problem to house in the same tank . )
the clown knife has the typical knifefish body shape , flat and elongated with an arched back . its anal fin and caudal fin ( tail fin ) are joined , giving it a long continuous fin along the underside . this fin undulates , allowing it to move either forwards or back wards , making it a very graceful swimmer .
the clown knife fish has to be one of the strangest looking freshwater tropicals available in the hobby . with its elongated head , huge underslung jaw and humped back , it definitely doesn ' t appeal to all . but for all its odd looks , these fish have great personalities and are amazing to watch gliding around the tank at night
the clown knife fish has to be one of the strangest looking freshwater tropical fish available in the hobby . with its elongated head , huge underslung jaw and humped back , it definitely doesn’t appeal to all . but for all its odd looks , these fish have great personalities and are amazing to watch gliding around the tank at night .
this is a very active fish of schooling type . minimum size of clown loach tank for a school of 3 - 5 species should be 100 gallons . please , consider the fact that , the larger is the fish school and the tank , the more comfortable fishes feel : they grow more intensively and intragroup aggression is almost absent .
this species is also referred to as ‘clown knifefish’ in the aquarium trade but arguably has no place in the ornamental hobby given its adult size and specialised requirements . it remains inexplicably popular , however , with albino and leucistic forms having been line - bred for the purpose while apparent hybrids with c . blanci also appear from time - to - time .
can be a hit or miss aggression wise , my 18″ royal clown doesnt tollerate any tankmates at all . most will likely beat up smaller fish in the tank once lights go out at night . this is a species that likes to be king of the aquarium . platinum and gold variants are becomming more available in the hobby aswell , reducing their value .
this spotted featherback fish inhabit lakes , swamps , and the moving backwaters waters of medium to large rivers . young fish occur in schools among aquatic plants and submerged roots . adults tend to be loaners , commonly found near shore in areas with overhanging vegetation or docks . they utilize air to survive in warm , stagnant waters with little oxygen . more recently they have been popping up in the united states in warmer climates states like florida . these fish are some times caught by anglers going after bass . they are starting to populate parts of the united states because of irresponsible fish owners setting them free when they can no longer care for these demanding fish . the largest fish reported in florida was 36 inches long .
my first encounter ever seeing and knowing about featherback was during a visit to public aquaria and getting the chance to actually view the fish in person . i have to admit , although having seen countless types of freshwater fish , it was in fact the first time that i’ve ever encounter one and it really amazes me especially the overall shape of the species . not many aquarist fancy keeping them as a pet and while i couldn’t find local fish enthusiast in community club who actually owns one , however that doesn’t stop me from finding more information as i still maintain a deep interest trying to learn about it . searching through various sources of information both on the internet and library yield quite some interesting facts concerning this giant carnivorous fish .
the clown featherfin fish are carnivores . in the wild they are predatory animals , primarily piscivores , which means they mostly eat fish . in the aquarium they prefer to eat fresh foods such as worms or small fish , but it is a good idea to do your best to condition them to eat sinking pellets or some other dried food of substance . this will make feeding them much easier and less costly .
as with most fish the clown knifefish are prone to skin flukes , parasitic infestations ( protozoa , worms , etc . ) , ichthyobodo infection , parasitic infestations ( protozoa , worms , etc . ) , bacterial infections ( general ) , and bacterial disease . it is recommended to read up on the common tank diseases . knowing the signs and catching and treating them early makes a huge difference . for information about freshwater fish diseases and illnesses , see aquarium fish diseases and treatments .
clown knife fish can be extremely picky eaters . in their natural habitat , they are exclusive piscavores , and this can become a problem in the home aquarium . if you start young enough , they can be trained to eat pellets and some frozen foods , but this cannot be guaranteed , so a supply of healthy live feeder fish is usually required especially in the beginning when you bring them home from the lfs . this supply can consist of pretty much anything the fish can fit in its mouth , goldfish , buenos aires tetras , neon tetras , small convicts , guppys , etc . some other foods that will sometimes be accepted are pieces of prawn , shellfish and some meaty foods such as beefheart , although animal proteins are not considered to be very healthy for them and should only be fed occasionally . vary your clown knife ' s diet as soon as possible . don ' t let your knife get locked onto one food type . mine loves hikari massivores , cooked jumbo shrimp , and frozen silversides .
while in juveniles can tolerate one another , as they mature , they switch to a solitary existence . they will require a hidden place to hide for their prey in the aquarium . the clown knife fish can be kept with other larger fish that are not fin nippers . the juvenile may show a striped pattern to their spotting , but as they mature , all this will evolve into large and possibly fewer spots in the tail region . whenever you want to treat for parasite infestation , treat as a smooth skin fish .
clown knife fish are not suggested for beginners but rather for an aquarist with some fish keeping experience . these fish are usually offered for sale at a size of 3 to 6 inches and many hobbyists have unknowingly bought a pet they weren’t prepared to keep . that cute little 3 inch fish can grow to over 3 feet long , but in an aquarium 10 - 20 inches is usually the maximum size . if you plan on keeping one for a long time in good condition , be prepared to setup a 200 gallon tank .
the clown knifefish can reach up to about 3 1 / 2 feet ( 100 cm ) and weigh about 11 pounds ( 5 kg ) in the wild . most tank raise specimens however , won ' t grow much larger than 10 to 20 inches ( 25 to 50 cm ) . its body shape is flat and elongated with an arched back . it has a continuous fin along the underside formed by a joining of the caudal and anal fin . this fin undulates , allowing it to move either forwards or back wards . it also has a very small dorsal fin .
the clown knife fish is nocturnal , although they do sometimes come out during the day . they are quite remarkable to watch when they swim , as they are just as comfortable swimming backwards as they are going forwards , and they are amazingly flexible . when changing direction , they can turn within their own body length and often seem as though they have no backbone . although they are very high through the body , they are very narrow widthways . this makes it possible for them to fit through very slim spaces where most owners would think it was impossible for them to wriggle through .
clown knifefish will spend most of their time in the middle or near the bottom of they tank , but they may occasionally go to the surface to grab a gulp of air or a meal . this fish can reach an enormous size even in the home aquarium . they can be comfortable in a 55 gallon tank until they reach around 10
, but for the long term you will need a tank that is 200 gallons or more , and bigger is always better . use a high quality filter and provide a moderate water current . a uv sterilizer is a smart thing to incorporate into your tank as these fish are very sensitive to medications . the uv sterilizer will kill many diseases .
a monster of the hobby , the clown knife should not be purchased by the casual hobbyist . reaching huge sizes few people can properly house them and fewer can help them thrive . with its elongated head , huge underslung jaw and humped back , it definitely is unique , beautiful monster type of a fish . along with its odd looks , these fish have great personalities and are amazing to watch gliding around the tank at night it is also very popular because of its common availability , relatively low price , and variable pattern of large spots . it seems that no two are exactly alike . they may have no spots at all and sometimes you may find one with two rows of smaller spots going into very large spots .
clown knife fish are extremely picky eaters . in their natural habitat , they are exclusive piscavores , and this can become a problem in the home aquarium . if you start young enough , they can be trained to eat pellets and some frozen foods , but this cannot be guaranteed , so a supply of healthy live feeder fish is usually required . this supply can consist of pretty much anything the fish can fit in its mouth , and mine has made a meal of goldfish , buenos aires tetras , neon tetras , small convicts and even corydoras catfish . some other foods that will sometimes be accepted are pieces of prawn , shellfish and some meaty foods such as beefheart , although animal proteins are not considered to be very healthy for them and should only be fed occasionally .
clown knife fish are suggested for an aquarist with some fish keeping experience . they can be hard to get adjusted to a new tank and this often results in death . this fish can grow to a substantial size , reaching about 3 1 / 2 feet ( 100 cm ) in the wild . specimens raised in the aquarium however , generally won ' t grow much larger than 10 - 20 inches ( 25 to 50 cm ) . this is still a large fish , but since they are not particularly active they do not need as large of a tank as you might think . an adult can be comfortably housed in a 200 gallon ( 757 l ) aquarium . being nocturnal they need places to retreat during the day as well as open areas for swimming . once acclimated , they are very hardy fish .
i have had a clown knife fish for a little over two years now , and have seen it grow from 9
to a healthy 18 . for all their poor eyesight , mine does see well enough when the tank lights are low to recognise me and has developed quite a personality over time . he ( i have no idea if it ' s a male or a female , but i ' ve always considered him to be male ) is very responsive when you approach the tank at night , particularly when he thinks he ' s going to be fed . these fish are definitely not for beginners as they require a large commitment of time , money and space to keep happy and healthy , but they are well worth the effort , even if only for the
what on earth is that ! ? ! ? !
comments from people who see him for the first time . clowns are truly amazing fish , with definite personalities and a lot of character , and a face only a mother could love !
the first thing you need to think of when it comes to this fish is that it can reach an enormous size , even in the home aquarium . they are often offered for sale as small as 3
, and a lot of fish stores seem to forget to mention to the prospective owner that this cute little wiggler can reach lengths of up to 36
. they can be comfortable in a 55gal tank up to around 10
, but if you plan on having a clown knife long term , then you will need a tank that is an absolute minimum of 300 gallons , and bigger is always better . due to their nocturnal nature , they need a place to hide during the day , a piece of pipe or a cave where they can get away from the light . without this , they can become stressed very easily and will try to fit themselves into any dark space they can find , often causing damage to themselves . they do better with open swimming space , but they are adept as negotiating obstacles such as plants and piles of rock . in the wild , they inhabit slow moving rivers and lakes in many areas of asia , and do well in tanks set up similar to this type of environment . they prefer a neutral ph and softer water , but larger fish can adapt to a higher ph and hard water . mine lives comfortably at a ph of 8 . 2 .
the clown knife fish is nocturnal , although they do sometimes come out during the day . they are quite remarkable to watch when they swim , as they are just as comfortable swimming backwards as they are going forwards , and they are amazingly flexible . when changing direction , they can turn within their own body length and often seem as though they have no backbone . although they are very high through the body , they are very narrow widthways . this makes it possible for them to fit through very small spaces where most owners would think it was impossible for them to wriggle through . they tend to be quite shy , skittish fish and can quite easily panic when surprised . due to their generally poor eyesight , they rely on their lateral line , which is extremely sensitive , to detect changes in their surroundings and to hunt for their prey . when hunting , they like to approach small fish from behind , sneaking up very slowly , then pouncing and engulfing their prey whole in their enormous mouths . they can fit much larger fish that you would think into their mouths , so they cannot be considered safe in a community tank . they are very hardy fish once they reach a certain size , but can be sensitive to water conditions and some medications when they are smaller than 9 or 10
. i have heard of many cases of young fish , 3 to 5
, dying soon after they are purchased due to shock or unsuitable tank conditions .
freshwater ; pelagic ; potamodromous ( ref . 51243 ) . tropical ; 24°c - 28°c
asia : mekong basin in laos , thailand , cambodia and viet nam ; chao phraya and meklong basins .
maturity : l m ? range ? - ? cm max length : 100 . 0 cm sl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 30857 ) ; max . published weight : 5 . 0 kg ( ref . 40637 )
distinguished from other members of the family by the presence of a row of large ocellated spots above the base of the anal fin ( ref . 27732 ) . differs from c . chitala in lacking silver or gold transverse streaks on dorsum and from c . blanci and c . lopis in lacking a basal pectoral spot ( ref . 7431 ) .
inhabits flowing waters of large and medium - sized rivers ( ref . 12693 ) . within the mekong mainstream , it occurs in pools ( ref . 37770 ) . found in the basin - wide mainstream of the lower mekong ( ref . 36667 ) . a predator on surface - feeding fishes , crustaceans and insects , with a crepuscular or nocturnal activity pattern . moves into inundated forest during the high water period from june to october . individuals from the great lake are shipped to markets in thailand ( ref . 12693 ) .
rainboth , w . j . , 1996 . fishes of the cambodian mekong . fao species identification field guide for fishery purposes . fao , rome , 265 p . ( ref . 12693 )
phylogenetic diversity index ( ref . 82805 ) : pd 50 = 0 . 5166 [ uniqueness , from 0 . 5 = low to 2 . 0 = high ] .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 3 . 7 ±0 . 57 se ; based on food items .
resilience ( ref . 69278 ) : low , minimum population doubling time 4 . 5 - 14 years ( preliminary k or fecundity . ) .
vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : high vulnerability ( 63 of 100 ) .
: missing argument 2 for checkecotox ( ) , called in / var / www / html / summary / speciessummary . php on line 1995 and defined in
: missing argument 3 for checkecotox ( ) , called in / var / www / html / summary / speciessummary . php on line 1995 and defined in
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en
urltoken
c . chitala differs from c . ornata in that the black spots in the posterior portion of the body are not ocellated .
this species normally possesses silver or gold transverse bars on the dorsum of the body , as seen here .
although often reported to range throughout most of southern asia this species is probably restricted to the indian subcontinent in pakistan , india ( records from the states of manipur , uttaranchal , west bengal , assam , tripura , uttar pradesh , and bihar ) , nepal , and bangladesh .
records from myanmar appear to refer to misidentification of notopterus notopterus , and those from southeast asia to the congeners c . blanci , c . borneensis , c . hypselonotus , c . lopis or c . ornata .
mostly known from major river channels and freshwater lakes , but has also been observed in swamps , beels , presumably during the spawning season .
suitable only for public installations or the very largest , highly - specialised private aquaria .
prefers dim lighting and access to refuges in the form of driftwood , large rocks or lengths of plastic piping .
a large , mature filter system , rigorous maintenance regime comprising weekly water changes of 50 - 70 % tank volume , and provision of highly - oxygenated water with a degree of movement should be considered mandatory .
an obligate , typically nocturnal , predator feeding on smaller fishes , crustaceans and other invertebrates in nature but in most cases adapting well to dead alternatives in captivity .
young fish can be offered chironomid larvae ( bloodworm ) , small earthworms , chopped prawn and suchlike while adults will accept strips of fish flesh , whole prawns / shrimp , mussels , live river shrimp , larger earthworms , etc . , as well as dried pellets although the latter should not form the staple diet .
this species should not be fed mammalian or avian meat such as beef heart or chicken since some of the lipids contained in these cannot be properly metabolised by the fish and may cause excess fat deposits and even organ degeneration .
similarly there is no benefit in the use of ‘feeder’ fish such as livebearers or small goldfish which carry with them the risk of parasite or disease introduction and at any rate tend not have a high nutritional value unless properly conditioned beforehand .
relatively peaceful with fishes too large to be considered prey but can be territorial with conspecifics and other similarly - shaped species , especially if space is at a premium .
unreported in captivity but in nature female individuals have been observed to deposit eggs on solid surfaces such as submerged tree stumps or stakes , after which the male remains to guard and tend them . spawning takes place on a seasonal basis between may and august , which corresponds to the timing of the summer monsoon .
this species’ name has been widely misapplied in the aquarium trade and hobbyist literature , most often in reference to the southeast asian species c . ornata , but unlike its relative is in fact very rarely exported for ornamental purposes although its is fished and cultured for food in india .
it can be told apart from c . ornata by possessing a row of non - ocellated ( vs . ocellated ) black spots in the posterior portion of the body , above the anal - fin . in addition it is the only member of the genus in which a series of transverse gold or silver bars is normally present on the dorsum .
notopterids are distributed in africa and southeast asia and all possess an elongated anal - fin which is continuous with the caudal - fin , a ‘humped’ appearance , very small scales , plus the ability to breathe atmospheric air .
hamilton , f . , 1822 - edinburgh & london : i - vii + 1 - 405 an account of the fishes found in the river ganges and its branches .
kottelat , m . , 2013 - the raffles bulletin of zoology supplement 27 : 1 - 663 the fishes of the inland waters of southeast asia : a catalogue and core bibliography of the fishes known to occur in freshwaters , mangroves and estuaries .
shrestha , t . k . , 2008 - himalayan ecosphere , kathmandu , nepal : 1 - 389 ichthyology of nepal . a study of fishes of the himalayan waters .
missing information here ? our knowledge base is an ever - evolving work in progress , which naturally means that some species profiles contain more information than others . we ' re working on a daily basis to fill in all the gaps , so please have patience . this site relies heavily on the help of hundreds of people without whose valuable contributions it simply wouldn ' t exist . information and photos regarding any freshwater or brackish fish species , its natural history or captive care is always much appreciated , so if you ' ve anything you ' d like to share please leave a comment below or email us .
sexing the chitala chitala : i had a mated pair , 12 years old . she laid eggs about 2 years ago . the eggs did not mature . the male’s slope behind the head is much more pronounced than the female , causing the male to be taller than the female .
two weeks ago , the female developed a cist just behind the gill on the left side . the cist ruptured leaving a 1 1 / 2″ hole through the muscle . i took her to university of tn vet school and she did not survive travel and treatment . they are housed in a 260 gal . tank . not sure how the male will fair without her . both are ~ 24″ and 4 1 / 2 lbs . major loss for me .
adult specimen on sale in a fish market , chiang rai province , northern thailand .
ornata : from the latin ornatus , meaning ‘adorned , decorated’ , in reference to this species’ colour pattern which consists of large , ocellated spots on the posterior part of the body .
native to the mae klong , chao phraya , and mekong river systems in thailand , plus the mekong basin in laos , cambodia , and vietnam .
it has been introduced to myanmar and the philippines , where it is cultured for food , and the u . s . a . , where a population has become established in palm beach county , florida state .
inhabits lower parts of rivers and tributaries , swamps , floodplains , and lakes , including some man - made dams to which it seems well - adaptable . moves into areas of flooded forest to spawn .
it is thought to be threatened by dam construction and other anthropogenic habitat alterations .
unreported in captivity but in nature male individuals contruct nests from branches and leaves and remains to guard the eggs and fry post - spawning , which takes place in areas of flooded forest during the wet season .
it can be distinguished from all congeners by presence of one or more rows of large ocellated spots above the base of the anal - fin , but is regularly misidentified as the congener c . chitala both in the aquarium trade and hobbyist literature . c . chitala is easily distinguished since it possesses non - ocellated spots above the anal - fin and is the only member of the genus in which a series of transverse gold or silver bars is normally present on the dorsum .
gray , j . e . , 1831 - zoological miscellany 1831 : 16 description of three species of notopterus , found by gen . hardwicke , in the indian seas .
kottelat , m . , 2001 - wht publications , colombo : 1 - 198 fishes of laos .
page , l . m . and b . m . burr , 2011 - h . m . h . books : 1 - 663 peterson field guide to freshwater fishes of north america north of mexico ( second edition ) .
rainboth , w . j . , 1996 - fao , rome : 1 - 265 fao species identification field guide for fishery purposes . fishes of the cambodian mekong .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en
urltoken
thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
justification : the species has a wide distribution the from mae klong in thailand eastward to the mekong basin . it has been introduced to myanmar and the philippines for aquaculture and is heavily utilised from the wild . however at present there is no evidence of widespread population declines and it is assessed as least concern .
the species occurs from the mae klong in thailand eastward to the mekong basin ( thailand , lao pdr , viet nam , cambodia ) . it has been introduced to myanmar and the philippines for aquaculture .
this species inhabits lowland river mainstreams and tributaries including floodplains , marshland and larger waterbodies . it is well - adaptive to impounded waters . feeds in mainstream and the sesan tributary system , lives in deep pools of mainstreams . ' black ' seasonal movement , moving from river channels into seasonally flooded areas ( poulsen
it is a popularly consumed , fished at large and small scales , and found in aquaculture . juveniles are popular in the aquarium trade and large fish are popular for public aquaria . in thailand , it is often used in food products .
to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .
betta fish care infographic , a handy cheat sheet that will benefit any keepers of siamese fighting fish .
fish tank care . guide to fish care with a simple look at aquarium filtration , how to clean a fish tank , and a fish tank maintenance schedule .
piranhas , one of the most efficient predators with razor sharp teeth and a ferocious nature . piranha fish species , description , information , habitat , and more !
setting up a saltwater aquarium . guide to marine supplies , putting the aquarium together , cycling the aquarium water and adding fish !
enter your freshwater aquarium enter parameters for your freshwater aquarium to get compatibility information while browsing .
enter your saltwater aquarium enter parameters for your saltwater aquarium to get compatibility information while browsing .
fish finder search our database for compatible pets ! enter characteristics of what you are looking for and find them instantly .
dr . jungle ' s pets and animal speak - newsletter featured pet of the week and more . . .
we have two large iridescent sharks we are looking to find another home for . our tank is too small and they are very large . do you have a big tank ? do you know they can grow 3 - 4 feet ? where are you located ?
looking for medaka rice fish . what ever species you may have for sale .
i ' m looking to but a balloon kissing gourami . any idea where i can get one ?
is it a member of the notopteridae family which contains contains some of the more outgoing species of knifefish . they are generally peaceful and will do well with other fish that are not particularly aggressive and that are too large to fit into its mouth . do take caution as they have poor eye sight and will some times try to eat bigger fish then they can handle . they can ultimately injury or kill a fish they are unable to eat .
is listed as more precarious on the iucn red list , and is considered near threatened ( nt ) .
, glen s . axelrod , brian m . scott , and neal pronek say these two are so similar that only a trained ichthyologist can distinguish between them , and that their taxonomical standing is in a state of confusion . it may turn out that
lc - least concern - although it is heavily utilized from the wild , at present there is no evidence of widespread population declines . it is has also been introduced for aquaculture in myanmar and the philippines .
their overall body color is a silvery gray . their most distinguishing characteristic is a variable pattern of large spots above the base of the anal fin . however , it seems that no two patterns are exactly alike . they may have no spots at all , and sometimes you may find one with two rows of smaller spots . the specimen pictured above is the albino color form .
juveniles can be sensitive to water conditions when they are smaller than 9 or 10 inches . many young fish die soon after purchase normally due to shock or unsuitable tank and water conditions . they are very hardy fish once they reach a larger size . like most knife fish they are extremely shy and are sometimes hard to get to eat when introduced to a new tank .
this fish is scaleless and very sensitive to water condition changes as with most scaleless fish . a high quality filter is a must ! weekly water changes of 30 - 50 % are needed . water condition tests should also be done weekly to make sure levels are not spiking .
in the wild they inhabit slow moving rivers and lakes in many areas of asia , so do well in tanks set up similar to this type of environment . due to their nocturnal nature they need a place to hide during the day . a piece of pipe or a cave where they can get away from the light works great . without this , they can become stressed very easily and will try to fit themselves into any dark space they can find , often causing damage to themselves . they do better with open swimming space , but they are adept as negotiating obstacles such as plants and piles of rock .
55 gal ( 208 l ) - a 55 gallon tank is fine for a juvenile , but they grow quickly and will soon need a tank that is 200 gallons or more for the adult .
they are generally peaceful but due to their large size , they will eat any tank mates small enough to fit into their large mouths . don ' t keep them with large aggressive fish , but large peaceful fish are okay .
monitor - while it is not necessarily aggressive , it will eat anything small enough to be considered a meal .
monitor - they ignore tank mates that are big enough to not be considered food .
threat - is aggressive - in the wild , this fish hunts at night for worms , crustaceans , insects and snails .
captive breeding is possible but this probably won’t happen unless the fish are kept in a very large tank . in this case , that means 500 gallons or more . the pair will usually lay their eggs on floating plants and the male will aggressively guard them until they hatch in 6 or 7 days . the fry should be moved into a rearing tank and fed baby brine shrimp until they are large enough to take other foods . .
these fish are hardy and disease is not usually a problem in a well maintained aquarium . that being said there is no guarantee that you won ' t have to deal with health problems or disease . animal world is a great source for information on disease and treatments . it is recommended to read up on the common tank diseases . knowing the signs and catching and treating them early makes a huge difference .
anything you add to your tank can bring disease to your tank . not only other fish but plants , substrate , and decorations can harbor bacteria . take great care and make sure to properly clean or quarantine anything that you add to an established tank so not to upset the balance . because these fish eat live food , disease can be passed to them from their foods . make sure to quarantine live food before feeding .
when keeping more sensitive types of fish , it is common for all fishes to be infected even before the first warning signs can be noticed . the best way to proactively prevent disease is to give your fish the proper environment and give them a well balanced diet . the closer to their natural habitat the less stress the fish will have , making them healthier and happy . a stressed fish is more likely to acquire disease .
dr . rüdiger riehl and hans a . baensch , aquarium atlas vol . 1 , publisher hans a . baensch , 1991


the guachanche barracuda ( sphyraena guachancho ) , is an ocean-going species of game fish in the barracuda family , sphyraenidae .

it was described by the french zoologist georges cuvier in 1829 .

the description was part of the second edition of le règne animal , or the animal kingdom .

guachanche barracuda are also known simply as guaguanche throughout much of the caribbean .

when used for food , guaguanche barracuda are usually sold fresh or salted .

guachanche barracuda

guachanche barracuda sphyraena guachancho - / animals / aquatic / fish / b / barracuda / guachanche _ barracuda _ _ sphyraena _ guachancho . jpg . html
guachanche barracuda can live in turbid , coastal waters at depths up to 100 m .
guachanche barracuda feed on several fishes from the engraulidae , clupeidae , lutjanidae and synodontidae families .
have a fact about guachanche barracuda ? write it here to share it with the entire community .
have a definition for guachanche barracuda ? write it here to share it with the entire community .
how can i put and write and define guachanche barracuda in a sentence and how is the word guachanche barracuda used in a sentence and examples ? 用guachanche barracuda造句 , 用guachanche barracuda造句 , 用guachanche barracuda造句 , guachanche barracuda meaning , definition , pronunciation , synonyms and example sentences are provided by ichacha . net .
did you know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? there are 26 known species of barracuda . . . . . . . sharpfin barracuda , sphyraena acutipinnis guinea barracuda , sphyraena afra pacific barracuda , sphyraena argentea great barracuda , sphyraena barracuda northern sennet , sphyraena borealis yellowstripe barracuda , sphyraena chrysotaenia mexican barracuda , sphyraena ensis yellowtail barracuda , sphyraena flavicauda bigeye barracuda , sphyraena forsteri guachanche barracuda , sphyraena guachancho heller ' s barracuda , sphyraena helleri sphyraena iburiensis pelican barracuda , sphyraena idiastes japanese barracuda , sphyraena japonica pickhandle barracuda , sphyraena jello lucas barracuda , sphyraena lucasana australian barracuda , sphyraena novaehollandiae obtuse barracuda , sphyraena obtusata southern sennet , sphyraena picudilla red barracuda , sphyraena pinguis sawtooth barracuda , sphyraena putnamae blackfin barracuda , sphyraena qenie european barracuda , sphyraena sphyraena sphyraena tome yellowmouth barracuda , sphyraena viridensis sphyraena waitii
the latest barracuda sensation . there has never been a barracuda guide like this .
a quick look inside of some of the subjects covered : barracuda ( disambiguation ) - films , tom clancy ' s splinter cell : operation barracuda - characters , plymouth barracuda - 1967í69 , great barracuda , barracuda ( disambiguation ) - vehicles , brownsville barracudas , great barracuda - behavior , plymouth barracuda - engines , barracuda ( disambiguation ) - aircraft , barracuda ( disambiguation ) - books and comics , central african empire - op _ ration barracuda , barracuda ( disambiguation ) - ships and submarines , barracuda ( song ) - usage at the 2008 republican national convention , fu wa - killer barracuda , barracuda - as food , caliban ( comics ) - captain barracuda , great barracuda - appearance , pelican barracuda - distribution , plymouth valiant - barracuda , guachanche barracuda - description , barracuda - appearance and physical description , barracuda ( song ) - covers , yellowtail barracuda , jean - b _ del bokassa - operation barracuda , saab ab - saab barracuda llc , tom clancy ' s splinter cell : operation barracuda - plot summary , barracuda ( disambiguation ) - music , splinter cell - tom clancy ' s splinter cell : operation barracuda ( 2005 ) , australian barracuda , barracuda ( song ) - in popular culture , sharpfin barracuda , barracuda ( song ) - catalyst , guachanche barracuda - distribution and habitat , plymouth barracuda - 1970í74 , great barracuda - barracudas and humans , and much more . . . author : ralph skinner pages : 34 format : physical print book , includes free shipping worldwide language : english isbn : 9781488831089 bisac code : reference / general
guachanche barracuda can grow up to 200 cm in length , but have only been recorded to weigh as much as 1 . 75 kg .
the pacific barracuda can be found from the gulf of california as far north as alaska ( ! ) and overlaps on the southern part of it’s range with the great barracuda , mexican barracuda , and lucas barracuda . the great barracuda , northern sennet , and guachanche barracuda are all found on the east coast from new york ( or a bit higher ) down along the gulf of mexico and the caribbean . the southern sennet is native from florida down along the coastline to brazil .
only some species of barracuda grow to a large size . the species which do are the european barracuda , barracouta or spet (
the two larger species , the great barracuda and the guachanche barracuda , have been noted as being brackish tolerant . the great barracuda in particular has been caught in waters as low as 1 . 006 . for long term health , keeping these fish above half strength sea water ( 1 . 012 ) should be sufficient . none of the other species of barracuda have been found in brackish waters in the wild .
click the button below to add the barracuda 52 success secrets - 52 most asked questions on barracuda - what you need to know to your wish list .
sphyraena japonica bloch & j . g . schneider , 1801 ( japanese barracuda )
known for its large size , fearsome appearance and furious behaviour . the barracuda is a saltwater
u . s . food & drug administration ( usfda ) . 2007 . harzard , market , geographic and nomenclature information for great barracuda ( barracuda ; sphyraena barracuda ) . seafood products research center - center for food safety & applied nutrition - regulatory fish encyclopedia . retrieved october 26 , 2007 .
barracuda are not typically considered small fish . the mexican and pacific barracudas can reach 50 inches or more , the great and guachanche barracudas can reach 78 inches , and the smaller lucas barracuda and southern sennet both can break 24 inches . the most manageable in size of the native species is the northern sennet , which has been noted at 18 inches but supposedly rarely exceeds 15 inches .
sp . nov . ( pisces : sphyraenidae ) : a potential new species of barracuda identified from the central mediterranean sea
.
nelson ( 1994 ) reports that the maximum length of barracudas is normally to 1 . 8 meters ( almost 6 feet ) , but are said to reach somewhat longer lengths . only some species of barracuda grow to a large size . the species that do are the european barracuda , barracouta or spet ( s . sphyraena ) , found in the mediterranean and eastern atlantic ; the great barracuda , picuda , or becuna ( s . picuda ) , ranging on the atlantic coast of tropical america from florida to brazil and reaching the bermudas ; the california barracuda ( s . argentea ) , extending from puget sound southwards to cabo san lucas ; the indian barracuda ( s . jello ) and the black - finned or commerson ' s barracuda ( s . commersoni ) , both from the seas of india and the malay peninsula and archipelago .
barracuda are most commonly caught on the top of the reef , off the deep edge of the reef & out on the shallower wreck’s . barracuda are great light tackle fish and available all year round . barracuda are also a deep sea game fish that we commonly find while sailfish fishing , kite fishing , trolling the gulf stream edge and the edge of the deep reef . barracuda can be caught with live bait , dead bait , lures & jigs . they are great on light tackle , the run fast & make amazing leaps out of the water and into the air .
the pacific barracuda is considered to be stable , with an iucn status of least concern . no information is listed on the other species of barracudas .
boats . the record for a hook and line caught great barracuda is 1 . 7 meter ( 5 . 5 ft ) , weighing 44 kilogram ( 103 lbs ) .
temperature depends on species , but for all should remain stable . the majority of these fish are subtropical and will likely be fine around room temperature , but the tropical species ( mexican barracuda , southern sennet ) will all need heaters in the tank . the pacific barracuda is a temperate species and will require a chiller to keep the temperature down . a good target temperature should be around 55f for this species .
in southern nigeria , west africa they are smoked and used in the preparation of different soups . barracuda meat is smoked is because when cooked fresh , the fish is quite soft and disintegrates in the soup .
, some species of barracuda are reputed to be dangerous to swimmers . barracudas are scavengers , and may mistake snorkellers for large predators , following them hoping to eat the remains of their prey . swimmers have reported being bitten by barracuda , but such incidents are rare and possibly caused by poor visibility . large barracudas can be encountered in muddy shallows on rare occasion . barracudas may mistake things that glint and shine for prey .
in most cases , a barracuda is dark blue , dark green , white , or gray on its upper body , with silvery sides and a chalky - white belly . coloration varies somewhat between species . for some species , irregular and unorganized black spots or a row of darker cross - bars occur on each side . their fins may be yellowish or dusky . barracudas live primarily in oceans , but certain species , such as the great barracuda , live in brackish water .
the native barracuda are social fish and are often found in large schools . groups of at least 6 are recommended , as many predatory fish kept in groups of 3 - 5 end with one or more fish getting picked on and killed .
currently , the family sphyraenidae only has a single genus , sphyraena , which is composed of all 13 species of barracuda ( though some unrelated fish are sometimes sold as “freshwater barracudas” ) . eight of these species are found in north american waters :
in general , the barracuda ' s coloration is dark green or grey above chalky - white below . this varies somewhat . sometimes there is a row of darker cross - bars or black spots on each side . the fins may be yellowish or dusky .
barracudas are caught as food and game fish . they are most often eaten as fillet or steak and have a strong taste like tuna or salmon . larger species , like the great barracuda , have in some areas been implicated in cases of ciguatera food poisoning ( usfda 2007 ) .
adults of most species are more or less solitary , while young and half - grown fish frequently congregate . barracudas prey primarily on fish ( which may include some as large as themselves ) . they kill and consume larger prey by tearing chunks of flesh . barracuda are competitive species and often are seen competing against
the larger barracuda are more or less solitary in their habits . young and half - grown fish frequently congregate in shoals . their food is composed almost totally of fishes of all kinds . large barracudas , when gorged , may attempt to hoard a shoal of prey fish in shallow water , where they guard over them until they are ready for another meal .
it contains 52 answers , much more than you can imagine ; comprehensive answers and extensive details and references , with insights that have never before been offered in print . get the information you need - - fast ! this all - embracing guide offers a thorough view of key knowledge and detailed insight . this guide introduces what you want to know about barracuda .
barracuda is the common name for the various marine , ray - finned fish comprising the family sphyraenidae of the order perciformes , characterized by a long , fairly compressed , elongated body covered with small , smooth scales and with a large mouth with strong , fang - like teeth . they are notable for their long size , reaching up to six feet ( two meters ) or more in length . there is only one genus of barracudas , sphraena , which has about 20 species ( nelson 1994 ) .
barracuda are very aggressive , predatory fish and are likely to take a bite out of similar sized fish , though reportedly will leave bigger , similarly aggressive fish alone . anything significantly smaller is too likely to be attacked and consumed . they are also inquisitive fish and in nature are known for investigating divers in the area , sometimes following them in hopes of picking up scraps to eat . these fish are also prone to jumping and tanks should be covered and latched down with a lock or something similar .
barracudas have an elongate body and large mouth , with the lower jaw jutting out beyond the upper ( nelson 1994 ) . their strong , fang - like teeth are unequal in size and set in sockets in the jaws on the roof of the mouth . the head is quite large , pointed , and pike - like in appearance . the gill - covers do not have spines and are covered with small scales . the two dorsal fins are widely separated , with the first having five spines and the second having one spine and nine soft rays ( nelson 1994 ) . the second dorsal fin and anal fin are the same size and are situated on the top and bottom of the barracuda , equidistant from the tail . the lateral line is prominent and extends straight from head to tail . the spinous dorsal fin is placed above the pelvics . the hind end of the caudal fin is forked or concave . it is set at the end of a stout peduncle . the pectoral fins are placed low down on the sides . the barracuda also has a large swim bladder .
barracuda are snake - like in appearance , with prominent , sharp - edged , fang - like teeth , much like piranhas , all of different sizes , set in sockets of their large jaws . they have large , pointed heads with an underbite in many species . their gill covers have no spines and are covered with small scales . their two dorsal fins are widely separated , with the anterior fin having five spines , and the posterior fin having one spine and 9 soft rays . the posterior dorsal fin is similar in size to the anal fin and is situated above it . the lateral line is prominent and extends straight from head to tail . the spinous dorsal fin is placed above the pelvic fins and is normally retracted in a groove . the caudal fin is moderately forked with its posterior edged double - curved and is set at the end of a stout peduncle . the pectoral fins are placed low on the sides . its swim bladder is large .
greek , sphyraina , - es = the name of a fish ( ref . 45335 )
marine ; brackish ; pelagic - neritic ; depth range 0 - 100 m ( ref . 26999 ) . subtropical
western atlantic : massachusetts ( usa ) , northern gulf of mexico , and throughout the caribbean sea to brazil . eastern atlantic : senegal to angola , including the canary islands and cape verde .
maturity : l m ? , range 35 - ? cm max length : 200 cm tl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 27000 ) ; common length : 70 . 0 cm tl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 5217 ) ; max . published weight : 1 . 8 kg ( ref . 57401 )
dorsal spines ( total ) : 6 ; dorsal soft rays ( total ) : 9 ; anal spines : 2 ; anal soft rays : 8 . diagnosis : 102 - 119 scales in lateral line ; no chevrons on the flanks or , if present , not so well marked as in sphyraena afra ( ref . 57401 ) .
occurs in shallow and generally turbid coastal water over muddy bottoms , often around river estuaries . schooling species ( ref . 6949 ) . occasionally enters estuaries and brackish waters ( ref . 57401 ) . feeds on mainly on fishes belonging to the engraulidae , clupeidae , lutjanidae and synodontidae families and also on squid from the loliginidae family ( ref . 9626 ) . maximum reported size : 71cm ( ref . 57401 ) . marketed fresh and salted .
de sylva , d . p . , 1990 . sphyraenidae . p . 860 - 864 . in j . c . quero , j . c . hureau , c . karrer , a . post and l . saldanha ( eds . ) check - list of the fishes of the eastern tropical atlantic ( clofeta ) . jnict , lisbon ; sei , paris ; and unesco , paris . vol . 2 . ( ref . 6949 )
) : 19 . 4 - 27 . 9 , mean 25 . 1 ( based on 752 cells ) .
phylogenetic diversity index ( ref . 82805 ) : pd 50 = 0 . 5000 [ uniqueness , from 0 . 5 = low to 2 . 0 = high ] .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 4 . 4 ±0 . 3 se ; based on diet studies .
resilience ( ref . 69278 ) : very low , minimum population doubling time more than 14 years ( preliminary k or fecundity . ) .
vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : very high vulnerability ( 79 of 100 ) .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en
urltoken
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en
urltoken
thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
dooley , j . , collette , b . b . , aiken , k . a . , marechal , j . , pina amargos , f . , singh - renton , s . & russell , b .
justification : this species is widespread and common where it occurs in shallow coastal waters over soft bottom . while a fishery is in place , exploitation does not appear to be a substantial threat to its global population . it is listed as least concern .
sphyraena guachancho is distributed across the atlantic ocean . in the eastern atlantic it is known from madeira , the canary islands , the cape verde islands , and along west africa from senegal to angola . in the western atlantic it is known from massachusetts south along the u . s . , throughout the gulf of mexico and caribbean sea , and along south america to southern brazil . it appears to be absent from bermuda and the bahamas ( de sylva 1981 , smith - vaniz et al . 1999 , r . robertson pers . comm . 2012 ) .
angola ; anguilla ; antigua and barbuda ; aruba ; bahamas ; barbados ; belize ; benin ; bonaire , sint eustatius and saba ; brazil ; cameroon ; cape verde ; cayman islands ; colombia ; congo , the democratic republic of the ; costa rica ; côte d ' ivoire ; cuba ; curaçao ; dominica ; dominican republic ; french guiana ; gabon ; gambia ; ghana ; grenada ; guadeloupe ; guatemala ; guinea ; guinea - bissau ; guyana ; haiti ; honduras ; jamaica ; liberia ; mexico ; montserrat ; nicaragua ; nigeria ; panama ; portugal ( madeira ) ; puerto rico ; saint barthélemy ; saint kitts and nevis ; saint lucia ; saint martin ( french part ) ; saint vincent and the grenadines ; sao tomé and principe ; senegal ; sierra leone ; sint maarten ( dutch part ) ; spain ( canary is . ) ; suriname ; togo ; trinidad and tobago ; united states ; venezuela , bolivarian republic of ; virgin islands , british ; virgin islands , u . s . ; western sahara
sphyraena guachancho is rather common in the eastern tropical atlantic ( de sylva 1981 ) as well as in the gulf of mexico and caribbean sea ( russell 2002 ) .
this schooling species occurs in shallow and generally turbid coastal waters over muddy bottom , often ascending estuaries well into brackish waters . it feeds mainly on small fishes and shrimps ( bianchi 1981 ) . the maximum size is 71 cm .
sphyraena guachancho is marketed fresh and smoked ( de sylva 1981 ) . the primary fishing areas include coastal waters of the continental and island shelves , particularly the shrimp grounds off the southern coast of cuba , campeche , guianas , and the northern part of the gulf of mexico . it is an important commercial species in the greater antilles . it is caught primarily with trammel nets and bottoms trawls as well as with handlines ( russell 2002 ) . it is considered a delicacy in the west indies and has never been reported as ciguatoxic ( russell 2002 ) . in the gulf of mexico , mexico , this species is taken as incidental catch in fisheries targeting thunnus albacares ( sagarpa 2012 ) .
dooley , j . , collette , b . b . , aiken , k . a . , marechal , j . , pina amargos , f . , singh - renton , s . & russell , b . 2015 .
to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .
despite an unfavorable reputation as dangerous to humans who are scuba diving , snorkeling , or swimming in their waters , unprovoked attacks by barracudas on humans are rare . rather , barracudas generally add value to human life as food and game fish and for the wonder they add to nature . ecologically , they are integral to many marine food chains , serving as the top predator in some tropical and subtropical waters and helping to maintain the balance of nature .
barracudas ( family sphyraenidae and genus sphyraena ) are found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide .
barracudas typically have coloration that is dark green or gray above a chalky - white underbelly . sometimes there is a row of darker cross - bars or black spots on each side . the fins may be yellowish or dusky .
barracudas occur both singly and in schools around reefs , but also appear in open seas . swimming in schools , or individually , they are voracious predators and hunt using a classic example of lie - in - wait or ambush . they rely on surprise and short bursts of speed ( up to 27 mph or 43 km / h ) to overrun their prey , sacrificing maneuverability ( rqcsr 2007 ) . they also exhibit some scavenger - like feeding habits .
the larger barracudas are more or less solitary in their habits . young and half - grown fish frequently congregate in shoals . their food is composed of fish of all types . large barracudas , when gorged , may attempt to herd a shoal of prey fish in shallow water , where they guard over them until they are ready for another meal .
like sharks , barracudas have long had a bad reputation as being dangerous to humans . however , unprovoked attacks on humans are extremely rare and millions of scuba divers , snorkelers , and swimmers spend time with them in the water without any incidents . barracudas sometimes do follow snorkelers and scuba divers across a reef , which can make one feel uncomfortable , but they are harmless unless provoked . because barracudas have a scavenger - like tendency , it has been theorized that barracudas tend to follow snorkelers because they believe that the snorkelers might be large predators and if they were to capture prey it would be easy for the barracudas to scavenge whatever may be left behind .
being formidable hunters , they should be respected , as barracudas are perfectly capable of defending themselves against humans that harass them . handfeeding or trying to touch them is strongly discouraged . spearfishing around barracudas can also be quite dangerous , as they are strongly attracted by the wounded fish .
there have been isolated cases where barracudas did bite a human , but these incidents are rare and are believed to be caused by bad visibility . barracudas will stop after the first bite as humans are not their normal food source .
barracudas are prize fish , and can be caught either fly or sea fishing . they are extremely powerful , and require tough and strong rods .
agbayani , e . 2004 . sphyraenidae . fishbase ( eds . r . froese and d . pauly ) . retrieved december 2 , 2007 .
humann , p . , and n . deloach . 2002 . reef fish identification : florida , caribbean , bahamas . jacksonville , fl : new world publications . isbn 1878348302 .
nelson , j . s . 1994 . fishes of the world , 3rd edition . new york : john wiley & sons . isbn 0471547131 .
norman , j . r . , and f . c . fraser . 1949 . field book of giant fishes . new york : g . p . putnam .
reefquest centre for shark research ( rqcsr ) . 2007 . what ' s the speediest marine creature . biology of sharks and rays . retrieved october 26 , 2007 .
rochefort , c . de . 1681 . histoire naturelle et morale des iles antilles de l ' amérique enrichie d ' un grand nombre de belles figures en taille douce … avec un vocabulaire caraïbe . rotterdam : r . leers .
sloane , h . , m . van der gucht , and j . savage . 1707 . a voyage to the islands madera , barbados , nieves , s . christophers and jamaica , with the natural history … of the last of those islands to which is prefix ' d an introduction , wherein is an account of the inhabitants , air , waters , diseases , trade , & c . … ; illustrated with the figures of the things describ ' d . london : printed by b . m . for the author .
new world encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the wikipedia article in accordance with new world encyclopedia standards . this article abides by terms of the creative commons cc - by - sa 3 . 0 license ( cc - by - sa ) , which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution . credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the new world encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the wikimedia foundation . to cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats . the history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here :
note : some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed .
this page was last modified on 13 may 2016 , at 20 : 45 .
content is available under creative commons attribution / share - alike license ; additional terms may apply . see terms of use for details .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en
urltoken
we parsed the following live from the web into this page . such content is managed by its original site and not cached on discover life . please send feedback and corrections directly to the source . see original regarding copyrights and terms of use .
) : 19 . 4 - 27 . 9 , mean 25 . 1 ( based on 752 cells ) . phylogenetic diversity index ( ref .
) : 4 . 4 ±0 . 3 se ; based on diet studies .
) : very low , minimum population doubling time more than 14 years ( preliminary k or fecundity . ) .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd html 4 . 01 transitional / / en
urltoken
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd html 4 . 0 transitional / / en
trolling lures or bottom fished with cut fish baits , live mullet & calamari .
this aggressive , carnivorous fish frequently attack flashing objects that appear as prospective prey . for best results when trolling from a boat use rapala cd16 to cd18 deep diving lures ( any colour ) &
fished 15ft to 30ft behind the boat at approx 4 to 6 knots - medium drag setting , enough to set the hook without striking . use a rod holder or alternatively if holding the rod , keep the trace up for the best action and hold the rod tight . on all traces add 2ft to 3ft of 40lb wire trace before the hook or lure to prevent biting off !
fish for giant atlantic tarpon in the gambia river estuary . . . . . . .
light tackle species fishing in the oyster mangrove creeks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
shore angling safari ' s along gambia ' s unspoilt coastline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
our boston whaler boat will get you to all major fishing grounds within 30 mins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
sign in to disable all ads . thank you for helping build the largest language community on the internet .
have a better pronunciation ? upload it here to share it with the entire community .
simply select a language and press on the speaker button to listen to the pronunciation of the word . leave a vote for your preferred pronunciation .
cas 214646 ( 3 specimens ) taken off marlin beach hotel in sãotomé ; smns 25263 ( 2 specimens ) from fish market at sãotomé city .
you can copy this taxon into another guide . if you are one of the editors of this guide it should copy everything , but if you ' re not , it will only copy the licensed content .
ray - finned fishes notable for their large size ( up to 1 . 8 m or 6 ft ) and fearsome appearance . the body is long , fairly compressed , and covered with small , smooth
sockets in the jaws on the roof of the mouth . the head is quite large and is pointed and
pike - like in appearance . the gill - covers do not have spines and are covered with small scales . the two
dorsal fins are widely separated , with the first having five spines and the second having one spine and nine soft rays . the second dorsal fin equals the anal fin in size and is situated more or less above it . the
lateral line is prominent and extends straight from head to tail . the spinous dorsal fin is placed above the pelvics . the hind end of the
perciformes . along with the smaller grey mullets and sand smelts or atherines , barracudas form the suborder known as mugiloids . members of this group are distinguished from the percoids by the backward position of the pelvic fins , which are located well behind the
predators and hunt using a classic example of lie - in - wait or ambush . they rely on surprise and short bursts of speed ( up to 27mph ) to overrun their prey , sacrificing maneuverability .
, barracudas have long had a bad reputation as being dangerous to humans . however , unprovoked attacks on humans are extremely rare and millions of
snorkelers and swimmers spend time with them in the water without any incidents . barracudas sometimes do follow snorkelers and scuba divers across a reef , which can make one feel uncomfortable , but they are harmless unless provoked . because barracudas have a scavenger - like tendency , it has been theorized that barracudas tend to follow snorkelers because they believe that the snorkeler ( s ) might be a large predator ( s ) and if they were to capture prey it would be easy for the barracudas to scavenge whatever may be left behind .
being formidable hunters , they should be respected , as barracudas are perfectly capable of defending themselves against humans that harass them . handfeeding or trying to touch them is strongly discouraged .
spearfishing around barracudas can also be quite dangerous , as they are strongly attracted by the wounded fish .
there have been isolated cases where barracudas did bite a human thinking that part of it was a fish , but these incidents are rare and are believed to be caused by bad visibility . barracudas will stop after the first bite as humans are not their normal food source .
they are caught as food and game fish . they are most often eaten as fillet or steak and have a strong taste like
trolling with lines baited with fish or other prey . the acute inquisitiveness of barracudas , together with their possessing hearty appetites , means that they will readily bite at
this reference article is mainly selected from the english wikipedia with only minor checks and changes ( see urltoken for details of authors and sources ) and is available under the gnu free documentation license . see also our disclaimer .
we promise to never spam you , and just use your email address to identify you as a valid customer .
this product hasn ' t received any reviews yet . be the first to review this product !
. they are found near the top of the water and near coral reefs and sea grasses .
e . m . abdussamad , ratheesh , thangaraja , bineesh & d . prakashan , 2015
scuba diver swimming inside a group of sphyraena putnamae off ko tao , thailand .
they also seem to consume smaller species of sustenance that are in front of them .
handfeeding or touching large barracudas in general is to be avoided . spearfishing around barracudas can also be dangerous , as they are quite capable of ripping a chunk from a wounded fish thrashing on a spear , or out of the arm which is holding the spear . humans are not on their preferred menu , but haste can lead to confusion .
barracudas are popular both as food and game fish . they are most often eaten as fillets or steaks . larger species , such as the
those who have been diagnosed with this type of food poisoning display symptoms of gastrointestinal discomfort , limb weakness , and an inability to differentiate hot from cold effectively .
west africans smoke them for use in soups and sauces . smoking protects the soft flesh from disintegrating in the broth and gives it a smoky flavour .
. rome : laboratoire d’ichtyologie générale et appliquée muséum national d’histoire naturelle . pp .
ichthyological bulletin ; no . 3 : the fishes of the family sphyraenidae in the western indian ocean
this article is issued from wikipedia - version of the 12 / 1 / 2016 . the text is available under the creative commons attribution / share alike but additional terms may apply for the media files .
our website has detected that you are using an outdated insecure browser that will prevent you from using the site . we suggest you upgrade to a modern browser .
anonymous ( 1997 ) bulletin statistique des pêches , année 1996 . : république de guinée , centre national des sciences halieutiques de boussoura ( c . n . s . h . b . ) . bull . stat . no . 2 . 35 p . + 2 annexes .
böhlke , j . e . and c . c . g . chaplin ( 1993 ) fishes of the bahamas and adjacent tropical waters . 2nd edition . : university of texas press , austin .
carl , h . ( 2003 ) danish fish names . : zoological museum of copenhagen . unpublished .
carvalho , v . a . and r . l . branco ( 1977 ) relação de espécies marinhas e estuarinas do nordeste brasileiro . : p . d . p . documentos técnicos ( 25 ) : 60p .
chinese academy of fishery sciences ( 2003 ) chinese aquatic germplasm resources database . : urltoken
claro , r . ( 1994 ) características generales de la ictiofauna . : p . 55 - 70 . in r . claro ( ed . ) ecología de los peces marinos de cuba . instituto de oceanología academia de ciencias de cuba and centro de investigaciones de quintana roo .
claro , r . and l . r . parenti ( 2001 ) the marine ichthyofauna of cuba . : p . 21 - 57 . in claro , r . , k . c . lindeman and l . r . parenti ( eds ) ecology of the marine fishes of cuba . smithsonian institution press , wahsington and london . 253p .
claro , rodolfo , and lynne r . parenti / claro , rodolfo , kenyon c . lindeman , and l . r . parenti , eds . , 2001 : chapter 2 : the marine ichthyofauna of cuba . ecology of the marine fishes of cuba . 21 - 57 .
de sylva , d . p . ( 1981 ) sphyraenidae . : in w . fischer , g . bianchi and w . b . scott ( eds . ) fao species identification sheets for fishery purposes . eastern central atlantic ( fishing areas 34 , 47 ( in part ) ) , volume 4 . department of fisheries and oceans canada and fao , rome .
erdman , d . s . ( 1983 ) nombres vulgares de los peces en puerto rico ( common names of fishes in puerto rico ) . : commonwealth of puerto rico . technical report , vol 3 . no . 2 , second revised edition . 44 p .
fao - fies ( 2017 ) aquatic sciences and fisheries information system ( asfis ) species list . : retrievef from urltoken ( accessed 08 / 06 / 2017 ) .
froese , r . & d . pauly ( editors ) . ( 2018 ) . fishbase . world wide web electronic publication .
grabda , e . and t . heese ( 1991 ) polskie nazewnictwo popularne kraglouste i ryby . cyclostomata et pisces . : wyzsza szkola inzynierska w koszalinie . koszalin , poland . 171 p . ( in polish ) .
gulf of maine biogeographic information system ( gmbis ) electronic atlas . 2002 . november , 2002 .
gómez - canchong , p . , l . manjarrés m . , l . o . duarte and j . altamar ( 2004 ) atlas pesquero del area norte del mar caribe de colombia . : universidad del magadalena , santa marta . 230 p .
kotlyar , a . n . ( 1984 ) dictionary of names of marine fishes on the six languages . : all union research institute of marine fisheries and oceanography , moscow . 288 p .
maigret , j . and b . ly ( 1986 ) les poissons de mer de mauritanie . : science nat . , compiègne . 213 p .
mceachran , j . d . ( 2009 ) . fishes ( vertebrata : pisces ) of the gulf of mexico , pp . 1223–1316 in : felder , d . l . and d . k . camp ( eds . ) , gulf of mexico–origins , waters , and biota . biodiversity . texas a & m press , college station , texas .
murdy , edward o . , ray s . birdsong , and john a . musick , 1997 : null . fishes of chesapeake bay . xi + 324 .
nelson , j . s . , e . j . crossman , h . espinosa - pérez , l . t . findley , c . r . gilbert , r . n . lea and j . d . williams ( 2004 ) common and scientific names of fishes from the united states , canada , and mexico . : american fisheries society , special publication 29 , bethesda , maryland . ix , 386 p . + 1 cd .
north american native fishtanks • barracudas of the family sphyraenidae in the home . . .
sleek , lightning - fast predators , barracudas are certainly impressive fish which are a sight to behold in large schools . but are they suitable for the home aquarium ? they are potentially dangerous animals and can present specially challenges for anybody who wishes to keep them in the confines of an aquarium .
none of these fish are commonly for sale in the aquarium fish trade . in all likelihood , you may never to see one in captivity outside of public aquariums .
one thing to note about these fish is that they do not ship very well and many which are transported longer distances end up dying due to stress or bashing themselves into tank sides . these situations also often end up happening in the home aquarium as well .
in the wild , these are piscivores and may have trouble adapting in the home aquarium . live fish are perhaps required at first ( cheaper fish like damsels and mollies may be used for smaller specimens ) . they should be able to be converted to frozen foods by attaching to feeding sticks and pacing around the top of the tank . barracudas will never accept prepared foods like pellets .
as marine fish , especially those which are found in reef settings , barracudas are best kept in large , stable systems . high carbonate hardness , high ph ( around 8 - 8 . 5 ) , and low levels of fish waste in the water are musts . they are best kept around a specific gravity of 1 . 025 - 1 . 026 . these are large fish and produce a lot of waste . utilizing deep sand beds to aid in nitrification and a working protein skimmer are highly recommended .
immense . even for the smallest species , the northern sennet , hundreds of gallons ( no less than 300 or 400 ) would be the smallest practical tank size . all of these fish are long - distance swimmers in the wild and are capable of great bursts of speed ; small tanks are not going to work long term . there really is no practical home aquarium size for the other species and they really should be left in the wild or to public aquariums which can keep tanks in the thousands , tens of thousands of gallons .
the other concern is that rectangular systems are not really viable either . like the larger sharks , these fish have a hard time turning and never seem to “get” corners . a round or oval system will be necessary if you want to keep these fish alive for anything close to their natural lifespan .
not at all likely to happen in the home aquarium . breeding occurs certain times of the year , in massive numbers of animals . replicating this would require a colossal tank and is not feasible for casual aquarists .
barracudas are interesting fish , but are not for the faint of heart . in addition to the constant risk of being bitten by these fish ( both for tankmates and the aquarist ) , they need massive , specialized tanks beyond what most people can provide . all things considered , these fish are best avoided for home use .
seasonal distribution and richness of fish species in the badagry lagoon , southwest nigeria , olufemi o . soyinka , minasu p . kuton , caroline i . ayo - olalusi
mcclane’s field guide to saltwater fishes of north america , a . j . mcclane
lot of fun today with a great group of 20 anglers . # deepseafishingmiami # spellbound