Leaf fish
Leaf fish | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leaf fish ( Monocirrhus polyacanthus ) |
||||||||||||
Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
Monocirrhus | ||||||||||||
Heckel , 1840 | ||||||||||||
Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
Monocirrhus polyacanthus | ||||||||||||
Heckel, 1840 |
The leaf fish ( Monocirrhus polyacanthus ) is a freshwater fish of the family of many spines (Polycentridae). It resembles dead yellow-brown leaves in terms of its color and body shape. At the tip of the lower jaw there is a forward-facing, rigid barb (petiole mimicry ?). Leaf fish can grow up to 10 cm.
behavior
The leaf fish occurs in large parts of the Amazon region in slow-flowing streams and stagnant waters. It feeds almost exclusively on small fish. The animals slowly drift with the current while holding their heads down. If they come across a small fish, they open their mouth, which is huge for their size, in a flash and suck the food animal into their throat. The mouth pipe (maxillary apparatus, see fish mouth ) reaches 60% of the head length.
literature
- Rüdiger Riehl , Hans A. Baensch : Aquarium Atlas . Mergus Verlag, Melle 1982, ISBN 3-88244-010-4 .
Web links
- Leaf fish on Fishbase.org (English)
- Experience report (two-sided)