Pike Gourami
Luciocephalus pulcher
The 'Pike Gourami' or 'Crocodile Fish' (18 cm). An extraordinary tapered labyrinth predator, resembling a small pike. Exclusively insectivorous/piscivorous, it is a master of ambush among dense vegetation. Very difficult to feed indoors, requires monospecific tanks and live baits.
Water Temperature
24 - 28 °C
pH Value
5 - 7
Water type
Freshwater
Tank level
Middle
Adult size
18 cm
Minimum tank volume
>= 180 L
Minimum group
>= 1
GH
1 - 10 dGH
KH
1 - 5 dKH
TDS
25 - 200 ppm
Conductivity
39 - 313 uS/cm
Species description
Distribution and habitat: FishBase records Luciocephalus pulcher from Peninsular Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore. The source reports it in streams and flooded forest among dense vegetation, including primary peat swamps.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Verified environmental data: FishBase records Luciocephalus pulcher as a tropical freshwater, benthopelagic species, with pH 6.0–7.5 and temperature 22–26 °C. The source also reports male mouthbrooding for about 30 days.
Geographic origin and distribution
This species originates from: Asia (Malesia, Indonesia, Singapore).
Origin
South and Southeast Asia
Fish profile
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- They are slow and methodically predatory. They are peaceful towards fish they cannot eat. A quiet, stress-free environment is needed.
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Luciocephalus pulcher is a highly specialized ambush predator. They require live foods like feeder fish or shrimp. Weaning them onto frozen food is very difficult.
- Life expectancy
- 8 years
- Adult size
- 18 cm
- Sex ratio
- Pair
- Keep a natural pair if attempting to breed. Sexing them visually is nearly impossible. They are generally tolerant of their own kind.
- Feeding frequency
- Twice daily
- Feed them a large meal every two days. Overfeeding can cause digestive problems. Remove uneaten live food promptly.
- Bioload
- Medium to High
- Luciocephalus pulcher produces a moderate to high bioload. Their predatory diet creates significant organic waste. Excellent water quality must be maintained.
- Flow
- Stagnant
- They require very calm, slow-moving water. Strong currents will exhaust and stress them. A heavily baffled filter is ideal.
- Jump risk
- Yes
- The jump risk is extremely high. They launch themselves when attacking prey. A completely secure, tight-fitting lid is mandatory.
- Reproduction
- Oviparous
- They are unique paternal mouthbrooders. The male incubates the eggs in his throat. Breeding in captivity is exceptionally rare.
- Compatibility & tankmates
- With caution
- They will eat any fish that fits in their mouth. Keep them with larger, peaceful fish. Aggressive fish will cause them severe stress.
- Tank level
- Middle
- Luciocephalus pulcher stays near the water surface. They need dense floating plants for camouflage. They rarely visit the bottom.
Scientific Parameters & Models
FishBase
Window to the official scientific data of the species
FishBase v25.04Data synced on: 06/15/2026
- Trophic level
- 3.4 ± 0.4 se
- Resilience
- High (less than 15 months)
- Phylogenetic uniqueness (PD50)
- 0.75
- Bayesian Length-Weight
- a = 0.00389, b = 3.12
- VulnerabilityLow vulnerability (14 / 100)
Related species
Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.
