Does anyone know something about this fish, or have any experience in keeping them? I heard about them while reading the article that Viskop posted in their thread "The Polypterus and the cat..." (I suggest you have a look - the quote is very cute!) http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?7789-Indigionous-aquatic-plants-I-am-very-frustrated-now! It was mentioned as coming from the same natural habitat has the Polypterus senegalus, although the article called it an "African Mud Fish", a less common common name for it it seems. I have a love for the oddball fish. I got even more excited when I read on wikipedia artile: The hingemouth, Phractolaemus ansorgii, is a small freshwater fish that is found only in west central Africa, the sole member of the family Phractolaemidae. The mouth can extend like a small trunk, thus the name, and has just two teeth, both in the lower jaw. The swim bladder has two compartments, and can function as a lung, allowing the hingemouth to survive in oxygen-poor environments. That is all it had to say on it, however. So far I have found out these links: See here for other photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8908148@N08/5261478398/ One brief personal account of keeping them: http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/93999-phractolaemus-ansorgii/ One brief summary: http://www.fishbase.org/summary/speciessummary.php?id=5226 Summary of their distribution (map included), habitat and conservation : http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/181936/0 (Yay they are listed as "least concern"!)
Thanks mxz for the link I'd also like to know if they are available in South Africa. I doubt it though - there doesn't seem to be too much interest in them internationally and that's usually a sign that they won't be imported here unless via online order.
I hope to have an experimental batch of ODDBALL African fish within next 2-3 weeks !!! Some Cameroon, Gabon, Nigerian , Congo species.... Anybody interested could drop me a PM, with their possible PreOrder for Phractolaemus ansorgii
bump! Our Africa ODDBALL shipment has been cleared for sale! I have a few Phractolaemus ansorgii These fish are COOL and WEIRD at the same time. Anybody interested should drop me a PM
I got in some for a specific project , and had a few to spare as hobby sales. I found them very fascinating and would get them in again , if there was a direct demand PM for email,and for me to follow up
Acclimate well to sinking and frozen food eg Daphnia, blood wormn artemia , and good quality omnivorous granulate They have small mouthsize For an oddball species, rarely available, price is less than some Polypterus. Expect to sell Around R300 ea
