Edit Anabas testudineus
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Name
Scientific name
Anabas testudineus
Described by
Authority Bloch, Year 1792, Bracketed
Family
Anabantidae
Common names
Climbing Perch, Kletterfisch
Photograph credits
All 5 credited
Summary
The climbing perch, Anabas testudineus, is a labyrinth fish found from Pakistan and Sri Lanka east to southern China, Indonesia and Singapo…
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
200mm, standard length
Aquarium size
Water movement Low: still or sluggish water
Water
Water conditions
Temperature 15–30°C, pH 5.5–8
Hardness
2–25dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Predatory
Social needs
Solitary or specimen
Community suitability
Not for a community
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Brahmaputra, Chao Phraya, Ganges, Mekong
Writing
Etymology
Anabas: from the Greek anabás (Gr. ἀναβάς), meaning 'having gone up', in reference to the ability of type species Anabas testudineus to move short distances ov…
Distribution
The type locality is given as "Japan" by Bloch, but this was in error and the species does not occur naturally there. It is however widely distributed in Pakis…
Habitat
Inhabits the majority of drainage systems across its native range and has been recorded in many different habitat-types including swamps, marshes, lakes, canal…
Aquarium size
A tank with base dimensions of 100 cm x 45 cm is required, even for a single specimen, and a group of adults would need something much larger.
Maintenance
Ideally a soft, sandy substrate should be used though it is not essential. Additional furnishings are as much a case of personal taste as anything else althoug…
Water conditions
Not written yet
Diet
Chiefly predatory though wild fish apparently feed on some vegetative matter including algae and rice grains as well as smaller fishes, invertebrates and mollu…
Behaviour and compatibility
Unsuitable for the general community given its adult size and predatory nature. Much smaller fishes are likely to be eaten but suitably-sized, robust cyprinids…
Sexual dimorphism
Sexually active females are slightly larger and noticeably thicker-bodied than males, while males are darker in colouration and apparently develop tubercules o…
Reproduction
One of the few anabantoids, alongside members of the genera Helostoma and Ctenopoma, not to exhibit parental care. It's rarely-bred in aquaria without the aid …
Notes
This species isn't especially popular in the aquarium trade but is undoubtedly interesting despite its lack of colour. In addition to its survival ability in t…
References
References
13 on this profile