Furry Diary

Not furry, but we like them anyway.

Clown Knifefish

Chitala ornata

Also called Clown featherback, Spotted knifefish

SpeciesShort profile

From Southeast Asia: the Mekong basin in Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, plus the Chao Phraya and Mae Klong basins.12

At a glance the quick version

Length100 cm123
Sizegiant
Eye-catching row of 'clown' spots
Glides smoothly forwards and backwards
Becomes a large, impressive show fish
23

Looks how to spot one

Laterally compressed featherback

A big, knife-shaped fish with a humped back, a small feather-like dorsal fin and a very long anal fin that runs into the tail. Rippling that fin lets it glide forwards or backwards.2

Colourssilver-greyrow of 6-10 black eyespots ringed in whitebrownish-yellow (juveniles)albino and leucistic aquarium forms23

Personality what they are like

Calm with fish too large to be eaten, but adults like their own territory and may argue with their own kind or similar-shaped fish.32

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Mostly active at dusk and at night, spending the day sheltering.12

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Water about 24-28 C (Seriously Fish gives 20-28 C), pH roughly 6.0-8.0 and hardness 2-15 dGH. Large weekly water changes and a strong, mature filter are recommended.13

Home where they are happiest

Grows to around a metre, so it suits only public aquariums or the very largest private tanks, with dim light and driftwood, rocks or pipes for cover.32

Food basics what goes in the bowl

A predator: bloodworms, earthworms, prawns, strips of fish and mussels.31

Company who they like around

Young fish gather in groups among plants; adults are usually solitary.2

The story where it all began

John Edward Gray described the species in 1831. Its common names come from its spotted pattern and knife-like body, and it is also an important food fish in Southeast Asia.12

Fun facts for the dinner table

  1. 1

    It can breathe air, which lets it live in still water low in oxygen.1

  2. 2

    Adults move into flooded forests during the high-water season, roughly June to October.1

  3. 3

    Males guard the eggs.1

  4. 4

    Young fish are brownish-yellow and only gain the adult spotted pattern at around 25-35 cm.2

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List (via FishBase)
Least Concern (assessed 2010).1

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Clown Knifefish. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

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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.

  1. FishBase: Chitala ornata fishbase.seused for size, weight, origin, water, IUCN, diet, history, fun facts
  2. Wikipedia: Clown featherback en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, appearance, colours, behaviour, fun facts
  3. Seriously Fish: Chitala ornata seriouslyfish.comused for tank, water parameters, diet, compatibility, colour forms

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.