Campylomormyrus tamandua

Worm-Jawed Mormyrid

Classification

Mormyridae

Distribution

It has a wide distribution, having been recorded in Cameroon, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Chad, Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Habitat

Inhabits dark, muddy and heavily-vegetated areas of rivers. It’s primarily a benthic (bottom-dwelling) species.

Maximum Standard Length

16″ (40cm).

Aquarium SizeTop ↑

A tank measuring at least 72″ x 24″ x 24″ (180cm x 60cm x 60cm) – 650 litres is needed for an adult specimen. Younger fish can be grown on in smaller tanks.

Maintenance

This nocturnal species prefers a dimly lit tank, and floating plants are a good idea to diffuse the light further. Stones, roots and plants can all be used to provide shade and cover, too. If kept in a brightly-lit tank the fish will be skittish and may jump. A sand base is essential, as it will probe the substrate with its snout in the hunt for food. Filtration over peat will help to mimic its natural waters, as will creating some water flow in the tank.

Water Conditions

Temperature: 73-82°F (23-28°C)

pH: 5.0-7.0

Hardness: 0-10°H

Diet

It will take frozen and live foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp, earthworms, tubifex etc. Dried foods are rarely, if ever taken.

Behaviour and CompatibilityTop ↑

C. tamandua doesn’t mix well with other mormyrids, including its own kind, but can be kept with many other similarly-sized species that can look after themselves. It should not be kept with very fast-swimming fish however, as it will be easily outcompeted for food. Suggested tankmates include larger Synodontis catfish and peaceful cichlids. In such a community, it’s best kept as a single specimen.

Sexual Dimorphism

Unknown.

Reproduction

It almost certainly hasn’t been bred in aquaria.

NotesTop ↑

C. tamandua is quite a rare fish in the hobby, but is imported occasionally. It’s not a good beginner’s fish as it requires pristine soft, acidic water conditions, will generally not feed on standard foods and attains a very respectable adult size. It’s also sensitive to many aquarium medications. It can sometimes be found as a contaminant among imports of the much more common Elephant Fish, Gnathonemus petersii. Unlike this species, C. tamandua has both upper and lower jaws extended, giving the mouthparts a more beak-like appearance.

Like other Mormyrids, it produces a weak electric field using specially-adapted muscle tissue located towards the tail. It also possesses electroreceptors that allow it to receive electrical signals. Using these, it can sense the tiniest of disturbances in the electrical field surrounding itself and use these to navigate, even in total darkness. This is a useful skill when hunting prey or avoiding predators in the dark. What’s most fascinating about this adaptation is that the fish also use it to communicate with each other and find partners.

Mormyrids also have relatively large brains, possessing the equivalent of a human brain in terms of relative size. There are 3 different types of electroreceptors that carry information to different parts of this, allowing them to distinguish between different species of fish and ascertain the sex of conspecifics in total darkness!