Ctenopoma

The leopard bushfish, Ctenopoma acutirostre, is an anabantoid from the middle Congo River basin, from Malebo Pool upstream to Boyoma Falls. Often sold as 'spotted climbing perch', it mimics leaves and other debris to stalk its prey, much like the unrelated South American leaf fish. Exceptionally hardy and long-lived, it can survive for over 15 years and makes an ideal species for the newcomer to 'oddballs'.

The tailspot ctenopoma, Ctenopoma kingsleyae, is an anabantoid with an enormous range, recorded from Mauritania and Senegal to Gabon and the DR Congo. One of the more aggressive members of the genus, it can be particularly nasty towards conspecifics and will eat small fish. It is named after the explorer Mary Kingsley, and there are reports of specimens surviving in aquaria for over 30 years.

The ocellated bushfish, Ctenopoma muriei, is one of the smallest members of its genus, recorded from Egypt and Sudan south to Tanzania and Zambia. It lives in sluggish or still waters such as pools, lagoons and swamps, many of them low in dissolved oxygen. Rarely seen in the trade, it will eat only the tiniest fish and suits an African community with Alestiid tetras, dwarf cichlids and small Mochokid catfish.

The mottled bushfish, Ctenopoma weeksii, is an anabantoid from the River Congo drainage in the Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo. It lives in sluggish, often hypoxic waters, usually among the thickest marginal vegetation. A predator of small fish but otherwise retiring, it can be kept in a group if all the fish are added at the same time.