Elephant fish lives in the Congo River and Cameroon Rivers. This species first came to Europe in 1950, to the USSR in 1962. The length of an adult reaches 23 centimeters. The body is quite elongated, but flattened laterally. The pectoral fins are high, the dorsal fin is shifted far back. Elephant fish does not have ventral fins, as far as color is concerned, its color is dark brown. Between the dorsal and anal fin there is a black spot of a sufficiently large size.
Elephant fish
The fish got its name because of the proboscis located on the lower jaw, the size of which is two centimeters. Proboscis looks like a rounded long stalk.
The so-called trunk is necessary for the fish in order to find food.
The lifespan of this species in natural conditions is an average of eight years. Water "elephants" are difficult to distinguish by gender, the only difference is that females are larger than males. Fish have an amazing feature, namely, thanks to electric fields, they find their way in the dark. They are also able to distinguish between dead and living creatures. The river elephant prefers to swim closer to the bottom. The fish looks like a mine detector.
Aquarium and elephant fish
The maintenance and reproduction of these fish, like many large species, should occur in an aquarium, the volume of which is more than 120 liters. The aquarium must be tightly closed with glass, otherwise the fish will jump out of it.
"Elephants" are not too demanding on the chemical composition of water. In order for the fish to feel comfortable, shelters in the form of stone caves, dense thickets, and also flower pots should be arranged in the aquarium. As for the soil, it should be loose and soft. This is necessary so that he can settle in a few minutes after the stirring. As the soil, you can use washed peat chips. Most of the life of an elephant fish is in motion, only for a short time it can remain calm. This species constantly chases fish similar to itself, and sometimes it pursues
large fish without a special purpose
. The underwater elephant pays no attention to small individuals. They can be compared with playful elephants who just want to frolic.
The smartest fish
Many connoisseurs of water fauna believe that elephant fish is the smartest fish. In order to get food for herself, she plunges her head into the sludge and with the help of her trunk searches for food. When a bloodworm is found in a thick layer of silt, a movable trunk throws it up. After this, the bloodworm retracts into the oral opening, which is placed under the trunk. Under natural conditions, elephant fish plunges into the sludge until only the dorsal fin remains visible. On their back is an organ called an "electro-locator." Thanks to him, an approaching enemy will be seen at a distance of several meters. Many scuba divers prefer photographing bizarre fish, including an elephant fish. Her photo is decorated with many thematic publications.