African Butterfly Fish - (Pantodon buchholzi)

Fish Details, Description and Information Below:

🦋 African Butterfly Fish – (Pantodon buchholzi) – African Surface-Dwelling Insect Predator

The African Butterfly Fish (Pantodon buchholzi) is one of the most unusual freshwater fish available in the aquarium hobby.

This fascinating African species spends almost its entire life directly beneath the surface, where its:

Large wing-like pectoral fins
Upturned mouth
Flattened upper body
Large eyes
Long trailing pelvic-fin rays
Brown leaf-like camouflage

allow it to function as a highly specialized:

SURFACE AMBUSH PREDATOR

The African Butterfly Fish waits quietly beneath floating vegetation for insects and other prey to land on or move near the water's surface.

When prey appears, the fish can strike with surprising speed.

It is also capable of launching completely out of the water.

Because of this:

A TIGHT-FITTING, ESCAPE-PROOF LID IS ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED

🔎 Quick Facts – African Butterfly Fish

📛 Common Name: African Butterfly Fish
📛 Other Names: Freshwater Butterflyfish, Butterfly Fish
🔬 Scientific Name: Pantodon buchholzi
📅 Described: Peters, 1876
🐟 Family: Pantodontidae
🧬 Order: Osteoglossiformes
🌎 Origin: West & Central Africa
🌊 Habitat: Swamps, creeks, backwaters and calm sections of rivers
💧 Water Type: Freshwater
📏 Scientific Maximum: Approximately 4.7 inches / 11.9 cm total length
📏 Aquarium Maximum Reported: Approximately 6 inches / 15 cm
📏 Adult Planning Size: Approximately 4–6 inches
🏠 Recommended Aquarium: 30 gallons or larger
📐 Most Important Tank Dimension: Surface Area
🌡️ Temperature: Approximately 73–82°F
🌡️ Broader Documented Range: Approximately 73–86°F
💧 pH: Approximately 6.0–7.5
💦 Water: Soft to moderately mineralized
🌊 Water Movement: Gentle
🌿 Floating Plants: Strongly Recommended
🍽️ Diet: Carnivorous / Insectivorous Surface Predator
🦗 Natural Food: Primarily terrestrial insects and aquatic insect larvae
🦐 Additional Natural Foods: Crustaceans and small fish
⬆️ Swimming Level: Surface
💨 Air Breathing: Obligate Air Breather
🚀 Jumping Ability: Extremely High
🔒 Secure Lid: Absolutely Required
😌 Temperament: Generally peaceful but predatory toward small fish
⚠️ Tankmate Concern: Small surface fish may be eaten
🚫 Avoid: Fin nippers and aggressive surface feeders
🥚 Reproduction: Egg Layer
🥚 Eggs: Floating eggs
🥚 Documented Clutch: Approximately 80–220 eggs
👶 Parental Care: None
♂️ Sexing: Mature males and females can be distinguished by anal-fin shape
⭐ Care Level: Intermediate
🌎 IUCN Status: Least Concern

🧬 A Very Unusual Living Fish

The African Butterfly Fish belongs to the family:

PANTODONTIDAE

and is the only living species in the genus:

Pantodon

It is part of the order:

OSTEOGLOSSIFORMES

which also contains other ancient freshwater fish groups including:

Arowanas
Arapaimas
Elephantnose relatives
African knifefish relatives

Although the African Butterfly Fish looks unlike an arowana, they belong to the same broader ancient lineage of bonytongue fishes.

🔬 Correct Scientific Name

The currently accepted scientific name is:

Pantodon buchholzi

The current Catalog of Fishes recognizes the species as:

Pantodon buchholzi Peters, 1876

Older references sometimes give:

1877

as the publication year.

Current taxonomic records use:

1876

🦋 Why Is It Called a Butterfly Fish?

Viewed from above, the African Butterfly Fish has enormous:

WING-LIKE PECTORAL FINS

that spread outward from the body.

Together with its long pelvic-fin rays, the fish resembles a butterfly floating directly beneath the water surface.

🚀 Does the African Butterfly Fish Actually Fly?

No.

Despite its wing-like fins, the African Butterfly Fish is:

NOT A TRUE GLIDING FISH

Scientific studies describe its escape behavior as:

BALLISTIC JUMPING

The fish uses powerful movements of the body and fins to launch itself completely out of the water.

🚨 EXTREME JUMPING WARNING

This is one of the most important things customers need to know.

AFRICAN BUTTERFLY FISH ARE EXCEPTIONALLY POWERFUL JUMPERS

They may jump because of:

Feeding
Startling
Chasing prey
Territorial interaction
Sudden movement
Nighttime activity
Aquarium maintenance

An uncovered aquarium can result in:

A DEAD FISH ON THE FLOOR

🔒 Tight-Fitting Lid Required

The aquarium must have:

A SECURE, GAP-FREE LID

Check carefully around:

Filter openings
Heater cords
Airline tubing
Feeding openings
Overflow boxes
Aquarium corners

A surprisingly small opening may be enough for the fish to escape.

↕️ Leave Safe Airspace

Do not fill the aquarium completely to the lid.

Leave some space between:

THE WATER SURFACE

and:

THE COVER

This provides room for normal surface behavior while still preventing escape.

💨 Obligate Air Breather

One of the most interesting features of Pantodon buchholzi is that it is classified as an:

OBLIGATE AIR-BREATHING FISH

The fish regularly interacts with the air-water interface and must always have access to the surface.

Therefore:

NEVER BLOCK THE ENTIRE SURFACE

with decorations or excessively dense floating plants.

⚠️ Surface Access Is Essential

The fish should always be able to reach open areas of:

ATMOSPHERIC AIR

Do not keep African Butterfly Fish in systems where:

The surface is inaccessible
Dense plants completely seal the surface
Decorations trap fish underwater
Heavy surface equipment eliminates breathing areas

🎨 Appearance

African Butterfly Fish have natural camouflage consisting of:

Brown
Bronze
Gray
Olive
Tan
Dark brown mottling

Their coloration resembles:

Dead leaves
Bark
Floating debris
Shadows beneath vegetation

This helps the fish remain nearly invisible while waiting for prey.

👀 Large Surface-Oriented Eyes

The eyes are positioned high on the head.

This allows the fish to monitor activity:

At the surface
Above the water
Immediately below the surface

The fish is extremely sensitive to movement.

👄 Upturned Mouth

The mouth is:

VERY LARGE AND STRONGLY UPTURNED

This is an adaptation for capturing prey directly from:

THE WATER SURFACE

Rather than searching along the bottom, the African Butterfly Fish waits for food to arrive from above.

🧵 Long Pelvic-Fin Rays

One of the species' strangest features is its long:

THREAD-LIKE PELVIC FIN RAYS

These hang downward beneath the fish.

Although beautiful, these delicate rays can become targets for:

FIN-NIPPING TANKMATES

🌎 Native Distribution

Pantodon buchholzi occurs across portions of:

WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

Scientific records include populations from regions associated with:

Nigeria
Cameroon
Lake Chad drainage
Ogowe / Ogooué Basin
Congo Basin
Upper Zambezi region
Adjacent West African drainages

Its distribution covers a very large portion of tropical Africa.

🌊 Natural Habitat

African Butterfly Fish inhabit:

CALM WATER

Typical habitats include:

Swamps
Creeks
Flooded areas
Backwaters
Quiet ponds
Marshes
Calm river margins

They generally avoid extremely turbulent surface conditions.

🌿 Floating Vegetation

Wild fish commonly associate with:

Floating plants
Overhanging vegetation
Roots
Leaves
Surface debris

These structures provide:

Camouflage
Security
Shade
Hunting areas
Protection from predators

🌿 Floating Plants Are Strongly Recommended

Suitable aquarium plants may include:

Amazon Frogbit
Salvinia
Water Sprite
Red Root Floaters
Other aquarium-safe floating plants

Do not cover the entire surface.

Instead create:

FLOATING COVER + OPEN FEEDING AREAS

💡 Subdued Lighting

African Butterfly Fish generally prefer:

SUBDUED LIGHTING

Bright lighting directly over an exposed water surface can make them:

Nervous
Skittish
More likely to hide
More likely to jump when startled

Floating plants are excellent for creating shaded areas.

🌊 Gentle Water Movement

Unlike many of the plecos sold in our store, the African Butterfly Fish does:

NOT REQUIRE STRONG CURRENT

Its natural habitat consists largely of calm waters.

The aquarium surface should have:

GENTLE WATER MOVEMENT

⚠️ Avoid Strong Surface Turbulence

Excessive surface flow can interfere with:

Resting behavior
Feeding
Hunting
Floating plant cover

Avoid directing powerful:

Powerheads
Spray bars
Filter returns

directly across the entire surface.

💨 Oxygenation Still Matters

Gentle current does not mean poor water quality.

Maintain:

Good filtration
Appropriate oxygenation
Clean water
Regular water changes

while preventing excessive turbulence where the fish spends most of its time.

📏 Adult Size

FishBase documents a maximum wild size of approximately:

11.9 CM / 4.7 INCHES TOTAL LENGTH

Aquarium records have documented specimens reaching approximately:

15 CM / 5.9 INCHES

Therefore, for practical aquarium planning:

EXPECT APPROXIMATELY 4–6 INCHES

🏠 Aquarium Size

African Butterfly Fish do not require extreme aquarium volume.

However:

SURFACE AREA IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN DEPTH

For general permanent housing:

30 GALLONS OR LARGER

is an excellent recommendation.

📐 Wide & Long Is Better Than Tall

LONG, WIDE AQUARIUM

is much more useful to this species than a tall narrow aquarium.

The fish spends nearly its entire life within the:

TOP FEW INCHES OF WATER

👥 Keeping Multiple Butterfly Fish

Several African Butterfly Fish can be maintained together when:

Surface area is adequate
Floating cover is available
Feeding is sufficient
Individuals can establish space

Males can become somewhat territorial toward each other.

For groups:

40–55+ GALLONS

with a large surface footprint is preferable.

🪨 Aquarium Setup

Because the fish stays at the surface, the bottom layout can be adapted around its tankmates.

A good aquarium may contain:

Driftwood
Plants
Smooth rocks
Leaf litter
Root structures
Floating vegetation

The most important features remain:

A CALM SURFACE + FLOATING COVER + SECURE LID

💧 Water Parameters

A practical long-term range is:

🌡️ Temperature: Approximately 73–82°F
💧 pH: Approximately 6.0–7.5
💦 Hardness: Soft to moderately mineralized
🌊 Surface Flow: Gentle
☠️ Ammonia: 0 ppm
☠️ Nitrite: 0 ppm
🔄 Nitrate: Keep reasonably low

🌡️ Temperature

FishBase records Pantodon buchholzi from tropical water temperatures of approximately:

73–86°F / 23–30°C

For normal aquarium maintenance:

73–82°F

is a good practical range.

Warmer water can be maintained when water quality and oxygenation remain appropriate.

⚠️ Stability Matters

Avoid sudden changes in:

Temperature
pH
Hardness

Stable water is more important than continuously chasing a particular number.

🍽️ Diet – Surface Insectivore

The African Butterfly Fish is naturally an:

INSECT-EATING SURFACE PREDATOR

Its natural diet is dominated by:

TERRESTRIAL INSECTS

that fall or move near the water surface.

🦗 Natural Foods

Wild prey includes:

Terrestrial insects
Aquatic insect larvae
Aquatic insect nymphs
Crustaceans
Small fish

This is not an herbivorous or omnivorous community fish.

👄 Food Must Reach the Surface

African Butterfly Fish are designed to feed:

FROM ABOVE

They may completely ignore food that:

Sinks rapidly
Falls to the bottom
Is hidden beneath other fish

Use foods that:

FLOAT OR REMAIN NEAR THE SURFACE

🦗 Excellent Foods

Suitable foods include:

Appropriately sized crickets
Wingless fruit flies
Surface insects from safe cultures
Floating carnivore pellets
Floating insect-based pellets
Freeze-dried insects
Floating shrimp-based foods
Mysis offered near the surface
Other quality carnivore foods

🦗 Live Insects Encourage Natural Behavior

Live foods such as:

CRICKETS

can produce an incredible feeding response.

The fish can detect movement on the surface from a significant distance and rapidly strike.

⚠️ Use Safe Cultured Insects

Do not collect insects from areas treated with:

Pesticides
Herbicides
Insecticides
Household chemicals

Cultured feeder insects are much safer.

🚫 Avoid Feeder Fish

There is no need to feed live feeder fish.

Feeder fish can introduce:

Parasites
Bacteria
Disease
Poor nutrition

Use high-quality insect, frozen, fresh, and prepared foods instead.

🐟 Will African Butterfly Fish Eat Other Fish?

Yes.

Although they are not aggressive pursuit predators, their:

LARGE MOUTH

allows them to swallow surprisingly large prey.

Any fish small enough to fit into the mouth—especially one that swims near the surface—may become:

FOOD

⚠️ Small Surface Fish Are High Risk

Avoid keeping African Butterfly Fish with very small:

Guppies
Endlers
Small rasboras
Small tetras
Killifish
Juvenile fish

that frequently occupy the surface.

😌 Temperament

African Butterfly Fish are usually:

CALM AND SEDENTARY

They spend much of their time motionless beneath the surface.

However:

PEACEFUL DOES NOT MEAN NON-PREDATORY

Small fish may still be eaten.

🐠 Best Tankmates

Good tankmates are generally fish that:

Are too large to swallow
Spend most of their time in the middle or lower aquarium
Are not aggressive
Do not nip fins
Do not constantly disturb the surface

✅ Potential Tankmate Types

Depending on aquarium size and water requirements, possibilities may include:

Medium-sized peaceful tetras
Larger peaceful barbs
Peaceful bottom-dwelling catfish
Corydoras
Appropriate African cichlids
Certain peaceful Ctenopoma
Other calm midwater fish

Always evaluate the individual species.

🚫 Avoid Fin Nippers

Do not keep African Butterfly Fish with species that frequently nip:

Pectoral fins
Pelvic-fin filaments
Tail fins

Their large decorative fins can become easy targets.

🚫 Avoid Aggressive Surface Feeders

Very aggressive feeders can:

Stress the Butterfly Fish
Steal all surface food
Damage its fins
Prevent normal hunting behavior

Choose calmer companions.

🌙 Activity

African Butterfly Fish may be active throughout the day but often become more confident under:

Dim lighting
Evening conditions
Floating plant cover

Their hunting behavior is particularly fascinating to watch.

👁️ Surface Motion Detection

The species is extraordinarily sensitive to:

SURFACE DISTURBANCES

A struggling insect creates vibrations that can immediately attract the fish.

This is part of what makes live insect feeding so interesting.

🚀 Startle Response

Sudden movement above the aquarium can trigger:

JUMPING

Avoid:

Slamming the lid
Rapid hand movements
Sudden bright lights
Striking the aquarium glass

🧪 Acclimation

After arrival:

Keep lighting subdued
Keep the aquarium covered
Provide floating vegetation
Minimize surface disturbance
Avoid sudden parameter changes
Offer surface foods
Monitor feeding carefully

⚠️ Never Acclimate in an Open Container Unattended

Because African Butterfly Fish are such powerful jumpers:

KEEP ACCLIMATION CONTAINERS COVERED

whenever practical.

A frightened fish can launch out with little warning.

♂️ Male vs. Female

Sexing mature African Butterfly Fish is much easier than sexing many aquarium species.

The primary difference is the:

ANAL FIN

♂️ Mature Male

Males typically have:

A distinctly modified anal fin
A concave anal-fin edge
Fewer anal-fin rays
Larger fins overall

The anal fin appears divided into distinct sections.

♀️ Mature Female

Females typically have:

A straighter anal-fin edge
Broader, more continuous anal fin
Fuller body shape
Larger adult body size on average

⚠️ Do Not Sex by Color

Males and females are:

NOT RELIABLY DIFFERENT IN COLOR

Use mature anal-fin structure rather than body coloration.

🥚 Captive Breeding – Possible

African Butterfly Fish have been:

SUCCESSFULLY BRED IN AQUARIUMS

Breeding is possible but raising the fry is considerably more difficult than producing eggs.

💕 Courtship

During breeding condition:

Males establish small surface territories
Males interact with females near floating vegetation
Courtship occurs close to the surface

Healthy conditioned adults may spawn repeatedly.

🥚 Floating Eggs

The eggs:

RISE TO THE WATER SURFACE

after spawning.

They are relatively large for the size of the fish.

FishBase documents approximately:

80–220 EGGS

with eggs around:

1.5 MM IN DIAMETER

🌿 Floating Plants Help With Spawning

Eggs may collect among:

Floating plant roots
Surface vegetation
Calm areas

A dedicated breeding aquarium with floating plants can make eggs easier to manage.

🚫 No Parental Care

African Butterfly Fish provide:

NO PARENTAL CARE

Adults may eat:

Eggs
Larvae
Fry

If raising offspring is the goal, eggs or adults generally need to be separated.

🐣 Egg Development

Aquarium breeding reports describe the eggs as:

Initially pale or opaque
Floating at the surface
Darkening after development begins
Gradually sinking later

Hatching commonly occurs after approximately:

ONE WEEK

depending on temperature and conditions.

👶 Raising Fry Is the Difficult Part

Producing eggs is often easier than raising the young.

Newly hatched fry remain strongly:

SURFACE ORIENTED

and may have difficulty locating food.

🍽️ Fry Need Moving Live Food

Suitable early foods may include:

Baby brine shrimp
Moina
Small Daphnia
Other tiny live prey

Food must remain close enough for the fry to detect and capture it.

⚠️ Fry Cannibalism

Young African Butterfly Fish can become:

CANNIBALISTIC

Larger fry may eat smaller siblings.

Separating fry by:

Size
Growth rate

can improve survival.

🌧️ Breeding Trigger

Experienced breeders have reported that:

COOLER WATER CHANGES

can help stimulate spawning.

However:

NO SINGLE BREEDING TRIGGER IS GUARANTEED

Healthy mature fish and proper conditioning remain most important.

🌎 Conservation Status

Pantodon buchholzi is currently classified as:

LEAST CONCERN

The global assessment dates to:

2019

The species has a broad distribution across West and Central Africa.

⭐ Why Keep an African Butterfly Fish?

The African Butterfly Fish combines:

🦋 Extraordinary wing-like fins
👄 Huge surface-feeding mouth
👀 Specialized surface vision
🦗 Natural insect-hunting behavior
🌿 Floating-plant habitat
🚀 Incredible jumping ability
💨 Air-breathing adaptation
🌎 Ancient African lineage
📏 Manageable 4–6 inch adult size
🥚 Fascinating breeding behavior

into one of the most unusual freshwater fish available in the aquarium hobby.

⚠️ Important Considerations

Before purchasing an African Butterfly Fish:

The correct scientific name is Pantodon buchholzi.
Current taxonomy uses Peters, 1876.
The species belongs to the family Pantodontidae.
It is a specialized surface-dwelling fish.
It spends nearly all of its time directly beneath the water surface.
Adult size is generally approximately 4–6 inches.
Surface area is more important than aquarium depth.
Approximately 30 gallons or larger is recommended.
Use larger aquariums for groups or community setups.
Provide floating plants.
Leave open surface areas for feeding and breathing.
Keep surface movement gentle.
Do not use excessive current.
Maintain approximately 73–82°F for routine aquarium care.
Maintain approximately pH 6.0–7.5.
Maintain ammonia and nitrite at zero.
The species is an obligate air breather.
Never prevent access to the water surface.
It is an extremely powerful jumper.
A secure, gap-free lid is absolutely required.
It does not truly glide; its jumps are ballistic.
Feed primarily floating carnivorous and insect-based foods.
Crickets and other safe cultured insects are excellent foods.
Floating carnivore pellets can also be accepted.
Do not rely on sinking foods.
Small surface fish may be eaten.
Avoid fin-nipping tankmates.
Avoid aggressive surface-feeding tankmates.
Mature males and females can be distinguished by anal-fin shape.
Captive breeding is possible.
Eggs float at the surface.
Approximately 80–220 eggs may be produced.
Adults provide no parental care.
Adults may eat eggs and fry.
Raising fry can be challenging.
Never release aquarium fish into natural waterways.

🧬 Taxonomy

The currently accepted scientific name is:

Pantodon buchholzi Peters, 1876

Classification:

Order: Osteoglossiformes
Family: Pantodontidae
Genus: Pantodon
Species: buchholzi

The species is native to:

WEST & CENTRAL AFRICA

For this product, use:

**African Butterfly Fish – (Pantodon buchholzi)**

🚨 Jumping & Lid Warning

The African Butterfly Fish is one of the strongest jumpers commonly maintained in freshwater aquariums.

A TIGHT-FITTING LID IS REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES.

Inspect the cover regularly for gaps around:

Filters
Cords
Hoses
Feeding openings

Never assume the fish will remain in an uncovered aquarium simply because it appears calm.

💨 Surface-Access Warning

Pantodon buchholzi is an:

OBLIGATE AIR-BREATHING FISH

It must always have access to the:

AIR-WATER INTERFACE

Floating plants are strongly recommended, but maintain sufficient open surface space for:

Breathing
Feeding
Normal movement

🚚 Live Fish Shipping

Live fish are professionally packed for safe transport.

Shipping availability depends on:

Fish size
Destination
Weather conditions
Carrier availability
Applicable state and local regulations

African Butterfly Fish require special attention during handling because they are:

EXTREMELY POWERFUL JUMPERS

Shipping containers and transfer containers should remain securely covered whenever possible.

Please review our Shipping & Payment Information and Live Arrival Guarantee / DOA Policy before ordering.

⚠️ Buyer Responsibility

Customers are responsible for confirming that Pantodon buchholzi may legally be purchased, possessed, transported, and received in their state or local jurisdiction before ordering.

Never release aquarium fish into natural waterways.