Ropefish (Erythrinus) growth rate
- Thread starter piranha45
- Start date
Rope Fish (Erpetoichthys calabaricus) actually aren't native to the Phillipines or any other place in Asia or the South Pacific for that matter...they are stricly African fish like all of their relatives, the Polypterids.
The growth rate for Erpetoichthys is relatively slow and they stay slender for their entire lives (one of the characters that separates them from members of the genus Polypterus, along with the fact that E. calabaricus doesn't have ventral fins while all Polypterus do).
The largest Rope Fish that I've ever personally seen was one that I raised from a youngster many years ago. It eventually reached a length (after over 10 years) of approximately 24 inches and was about as big around as a U.S. quarter.
-Joe
The growth rate for Erpetoichthys is relatively slow and they stay slender for their entire lives (one of the characters that separates them from members of the genus Polypterus, along with the fact that E. calabaricus doesn't have ventral fins while all Polypterus do).
The largest Rope Fish that I've ever personally seen was one that I raised from a youngster many years ago. It eventually reached a length (after over 10 years) of approximately 24 inches and was about as big around as a U.S. quarter.
-Joe
yeah, they jump. That's how I lost mine. I came home from work one day and it was laying on the floor. I don't know how it got out, but it did.
In general I've found E. calabaricus to be about as active (or inactive depending on your point of view) as most bichirs. Mine have always been fairly energetic feeders and the ones I have now come out of their hiding places immediately upon smelling anything edible in the water.
If anything, Rope Fish are even better escape artists than their 'chunkier' bichir relatives. That long, snakey body makes it easier for them to find an opening they can squeeze out of.
-Joe
If anything, Rope Fish are even better escape artists than their 'chunkier' bichir relatives. That long, snakey body makes it easier for them to find an opening they can squeeze out of.
-Joe
At a fish shop near me they buy in all the oddball's without really researching them. They bought a rope fish and I was in when someone was buying it. It got really pissed off when the assistant was trying to get it into a net so it tried to bite her. Then it jumped on the floor and started to crawl away like a snake. It jumped from about 1M in the air and landed without a noise on a concrete floor. So then the assistant screamed and her husband had to pick it up and put it in a bag. This one was about 15" and £30 ($54).
Ya a place near me has like 24" and they're not for sale.
They are her babies.
She always puts her hands all up in their tank, takes 'em out, and talks about how "gentle and sweet" they are.
She' s nuts.
I should ask how old they are, I had no idea they has a slow growth rate.
They are her babies.
She always puts her hands all up in their tank, takes 'em out, and talks about how "gentle and sweet" they are.
She' s nuts.
I should ask how old they are, I had no idea they has a slow growth rate.
Do poly's really grow to that size in captivity? I have a polypterus in my tank, and it's not growing fast i tell you. It's still about 5", and I've had it for many months and did not see any enlargement, or maybe just a little...
