At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Surface-dwelling bony-tongue fish
A flat-backed fish built for life at the surface, with an upturned mouth, upward-looking eyes, very large wing-like pectoral fins and long trailing rays on the pelvic fins.21
Personality what they are like
Generally peaceful with fish that stay away from the surface, but it can be territorial with its own kind and with other surface dwellers.32
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Most active at dawn and dusk; otherwise rests quietly among floating plants waiting for insects.31
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Water about 23-30 C, pH roughly 6.0-7.5 and soft to medium hardness. Keep the surface calm and the lid tightly closed, as it jumps well.132
Home where they are happiest
A tank with at least a 90 x 30 cm footprint (about 81 litres); surface area matters more than depth. Floating plants give cover.32
Food basics what goes in the bowl
An insect eater that feeds at the surface: live insects such as crickets, plus bloodworm, brine shrimp, prawn and small mealworms. Flakes can be a small extra.132
Company who they like around
Can live singly or in a small group with plenty of floating plants. Good companions are calm bottom and mid-water fish such as Synodontis catfish, Congo tetras or elephantnose fish.31
The story where it all began
Wilhelm Peters described the species in 1876. It reached the European aquarium hobby in 1905 and has stayed popular since.1
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It can breathe air at the surface using a large, blood-rich swim bladder.2
- 2
It can leap and glide a short way above the water to catch insects or escape danger.2
- 3
Populations from the Niger and Congo basins look almost identical despite being separated genetically for tens of millions of years.2
- 4
Males have a curved edge to the anal fin while females have a straight one.3
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List (via FishBase)
- Least Concern (assessed 2019).1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a African Butterflyfish. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
You might also like
Elephantnose FishLike what we are building? Buy us a coffee.
The breed atlas is free for everyone, with a source on every fact, and it will never show ads. If it helped you, a small tip keeps the research going. Any amount is lovely, and no is a perfectly fine answer too.
Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FishBase: Pantodon buchholzi fishbase.seused for size, origin, IUCN, diet, history, activity
- Wikipedia: Freshwater butterflyfish en.wikipedia.orgused for appearance, behaviour, diet, care, fun facts
- Seriously Fish: Pantodon buchholzi seriouslyfish.comused for tank size, water parameters, diet, compatibility, dimorphism
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.