]V[onster ]v[ania- aba aba, CK, big cats, pollys (LOAD WARNING)

[Peanut_Power]

Agreed. What you have is a Papyrocranus afer, not an aba aba. Still a cool, aggressive knife, and pretty rare (around here at least).

Peanut, sounds to me like you may be thinking of Orthosternarchus tamandua (the white knifefish). Aba abas are usually more greyish/brown in color and have tapered snout, but not quite a "trumpet".

Might have been. haha. I'm still new to knives. Would love to see a LARGE aba aba though! I found some baby (2" and smaller) aba abas at a LFS in Nebraska once. They were so tiny and I heard they were fragile at this size so I didn't get them. Wish I had tried though. That would have been cool.

 

[filiportela]

Distribution:
The Aba Knifefish was described by Cuvier in 1829. The are found in in the Nile, Niger, Volta, Chad, Senegal and Gambia basins and Lake Rudolf in Africa.

Description:
The Aba Aba Knifefish is unusual even for a knife type fish. It has a flat long body, fuller and somewhat cylindrical towards the head but terminates in a thin point at the rear. Unlike most in this group, the fin that is used for locomotion is on its back instead of its belly. This fin can move in an undulating forward or backward motion. The color is dark bluish black on the back and sides, with a silver to cream underbelly.
This fish has an electricity producing organ that runs through most of its body generating a very weak electric field. This field helps with a variety of things such as identifying objects in the water, gives it spatial orientation, helps it to navigate, and helps it identify food. Males use an electric 'stereotyped' communication to court females.

Size - Weight:
These fish can get up to 5 ½ feet long (167 cm) and 40 pounds (18.5 kg).

Care and feeding:
The Aba Knifefish are carnivores, feeding on crustaceans, insects and fish in their native environment. Although they will eat insects, shrimp, and crayfish in captivity, the easiest food to feed them is live feeder fish. They can be trained to eat chunks of dead, freshwater fish which will help to keep the food expenses lower than if you exclusively feed live feeder fish.
You’ll eventually need a lot of water to house a growing Aba Knifefish. Plan on eventually needing 200 gallons or more to keep one happy and healthy. They are sensitive to some fish medications such as copper and those containing formalin.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
The Aba Knifefish will spend most of its time on or near the bottom of the tank..

Acceptable Water Conditions:
Temp: 74° - 82° F (23 - 28°C)
pH 6.5 - 8

Social Behaviors:
Small ones can sometimes be kept with other fish but eventually it will most likely try to kill and eat anything else put in with them. They are extremely aggressive feeders.

Sexual Differences:
Sexual differences are unknown.

Breeding/Reproduction:
It has not yet been bred in captivity.

Availability:
The Aba Knifefish are commonly available. The minimum size to buy is about 3 inches and bigger than this is better. Don’t buy the tiny ones that still show their yolk sack because they are very weak at this size.

 

[KRSwop1]

Yep, sorry bro, but not aba aba. Post some more pics of the walleye though if you can. How big is he?

 

[Zeppelin3k]

I like the water dogs, were did you see those?

 

[channarox]

yup.
def. not aba aba.
but very cool knife otherwise.
got more pics of the WAL?

 

[MrGuyPerson]

Distribution:
The Aba Knifefish was described by Cuvier in 1829. The are found in in the Nile, Niger, Volta, Chad, Senegal and Gambia basins and Lake Rudolf in Africa.

Description:
The Aba Aba Knifefish is unusual even for a knife type fish. It has a flat long body, fuller and somewhat cylindrical towards the head but terminates in a thin point at the rear. Unlike most in this group, the fin that is used for locomotion is on its back instead of its belly. This fin can move in an undulating forward or backward motion. The color is dark bluish black on the back and sides, with a silver to cream underbelly.
This fish has an electricity producing organ that runs through most of its body generating a very weak electric field. This field helps with a variety of things such as identifying objects in the water, gives it spatial orientation, helps it to navigate, and helps it identify food. Males use an electric 'stereotyped' communication to court females.

Size - Weight:
These fish can get up to 5 ½ feet long (167 cm) and 40 pounds (18.5 kg).

Care and feeding:
The Aba Knifefish are carnivores, feeding on crustaceans, insects and fish in their native environment. Although they will eat insects, shrimp, and crayfish in captivity, the easiest food to feed them is live feeder fish. They can be trained to eat chunks of dead, freshwater fish which will help to keep the food expenses lower than if you exclusively feed live feeder fish.
You’ll eventually need a lot of water to house a growing Aba Knifefish. Plan on eventually needing 200 gallons or more to keep one happy and healthy. They are sensitive to some fish medications such as copper and those containing formalin.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
The Aba Knifefish will spend most of its time on or near the bottom of the tank..

Acceptable Water Conditions:
Temp: 74° - 82° F (23 - 28°C)
pH 6.5 - 8

Social Behaviors:
Small ones can sometimes be kept with other fish but eventually it will most likely try to kill and eat anything else put in with them. They are extremely aggressive feeders.

Sexual Differences:
Sexual differences are unknown.

Breeding/Reproduction:
It has not yet been bred in captivity.

Availability:
The Aba Knifefish are commonly available. The minimum size to buy is about 3 inches and bigger than this is better. Don’t buy the tiny ones that still show their yolk sack because they are very weak at this size.

Just to note, while the aba aba looks like a knifefish, it doesn't belong to either "group" (s. american knifefishes or african/asian ones). It is more closely related to elephantnoses. The long fin (dorsal) is independently derived from the long fin of other knifefishes (anal fin; and both these group's fins are independent of each other).

 

[MrGuyPerson]

Also, I dunno if that waterdog is yours or not, but it looks like it's getting ready to metamorphose (looks like gills are receding, could just be the picture). He'll need a place to climb out!

 

[artemis1]

Lovin' the WAL

Thanks

don't be sad friend, bur what you are showing is not an aba aba, that is an african afer knife, not rare at all, nice, but no aba aba, sorry.

when buying an aba aba keep in mind the long fin should be on top.

Just read the label and took the picture, not a big knife fan (aside from clowns and royals)

See I thought it looked funny!! All the aba aba's I've seen have been pinkish and have a kind of 'trumpet' snout. I have seen a few black with white belly ones though....

Thanks for the clarification. Where are they from btw since your so versed in them?

Aquatics Unlimited is where i took the picture

Fish name
Papyrocranus afer

Maximum size (min-max)
70.0 - 80.0 cm ( 27.6 - 31.5 in)

PH of water
5.5 - 6.5

Water hardness (dGH)
dGH 4.0 - 12.0 N

Recommended temperature
24.0 - 30.0 C ( 75.2 - 86.0 F)

Temperament to its family
aggressive

Temperament to other fish species
aggressive

Place in the aquarium
Bottom levels

The way of breeding
Spawning

Fish origin
Africa

cool

Distribution:
The Aba Knifefish was described by Cuvier in 1829. The are found in in the Nile, Niger, Volta, Chad, Senegal and Gambia basins and Lake Rudolf in Africa.

Description:
The Aba Aba Knifefish is unusual even for a knife type fish. It has a flat long body, fuller and somewhat cylindrical towards the head but terminates in a thin point at the rear. Unlike most in this group, the fin that is used for locomotion is on its back instead of its belly. This fin can move in an undulating forward or backward motion. The color is dark bluish black on the back and sides, with a silver to cream underbelly.
This fish has an electricity producing organ that runs through most of its body generating a very weak electric field. This field helps with a variety of things such as identifying objects in the water, gives it spatial orientation, helps it to navigate, and helps it identify food. Males use an electric 'stereotyped' communication to court females.

Size - Weight:
These fish can get up to 5 ½ feet long (167 cm) and 40 pounds (18.5 kg).

Care and feeding:
The Aba Knifefish are carnivores, feeding on crustaceans, insects and fish in their native environment. Although they will eat insects, shrimp, and crayfish in captivity, the easiest food to feed them is live feeder fish. They can be trained to eat chunks of dead, freshwater fish which will help to keep the food expenses lower than if you exclusively feed live feeder fish.
You’ll eventually need a lot of water to house a growing Aba Knifefish. Plan on eventually needing 200 gallons or more to keep one happy and healthy. They are sensitive to some fish medications such as copper and those containing formalin.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
The Aba Knifefish will spend most of its time on or near the bottom of the tank..

Acceptable Water Conditions:
Temp: 74° - 82° F (23 - 28°C)
pH 6.5 - 8

Social Behaviors:
Small ones can sometimes be kept with other fish but eventually it will most likely try to kill and eat anything else put in with them. They are extremely aggressive feeders.

Sexual Differences:
Sexual differences are unknown.

Breeding/Reproduction:
It has not yet been bred in captivity.

Availability:
The Aba Knifefish are commonly available. The minimum size to buy is about 3 inches and bigger than this is better. Don’t buy the tiny ones that still show their yolk sack because they are very weak at this size.

neat

I like the water dogs, were did you see those?

I've seen them at too local fish shops so far, including aquatics unlimited (which is where some of the pictures were taken, including the "aba aba"

Also, I dunno if that waterdog is yours or not, but it looks like it's getting ready to metamorphose (looks like gills are receding, could just be the picture). He'll need a place to climb out!

Not mine.

 

[artemis1]

I honestly did think something was wrong with the headshape on the aba aba...

 

[artemis1]

WAS at the LFS? Where is he now? They get HUGE!!! Awesome knife though! Love the pure black!! Looks so evil yet so attractive!

Still at the lfs if no one bought him.

He was 59 bucks.

Sorry, is 59 bucks