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.
Temperatura da água
24 - 28 °C
Valor de pH
5 - 7
Tipo de água
Água doce
Nível do tanque
Meio
Tamanho adulto
18 cm
Volume mínimo do tanque
>= 180 L
Grupo mínimo
>= 1
GH
1 - 10 dGH
KH
1 - 5 dKH
TDS
25 - 200 ppm
Condutividade
39 - 313 uS/cm
Descrição da espécie
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.
Cuidado, criação e companheiros de tanque
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.
Origem e distribuição geográfica
Esta espécie é originária de: Asia (Malesia, Indonesia, Singapore).
Origem
Sul e Sudeste Asiático
Perfil de peixe
- Temperamento
- Semi-aggressive
- They are slow and methodically predatory. They are peaceful towards fish they cannot eat. A quiet, stress-free environment is needed.
- Dieta
- 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.
- Expectativa de vida
- 8 years
- Tamanho adulto
- 18 cm
- Proporção sexual
- Pair
- Keep a natural pair if attempting to breed. Sexing them visually is nearly impossible. They are generally tolerant of their own kind.
- Frequência de alimentação
- Twice daily
- Feed them a large meal every two days. Overfeeding can cause digestive problems. Remove uneaten live food promptly.
- Carga biológica
- Medium to High
- Luciocephalus pulcher produces a moderate to high bioload. Their predatory diet creates significant organic waste. Excellent water quality must be maintained.
- Fluxo
- Stagnant
- They require very calm, slow-moving water. Strong currents will exhaust and stress them. A heavily baffled filter is ideal.
- Risco de salto
- Yes
- The jump risk is extremely high. They launch themselves when attacking prey. A completely secure, tight-fitting lid is mandatory.
- Reprodução
- Oviparous
- They are unique paternal mouthbrooders. The male incubates the eggs in his throat. Breeding in captivity is exceptionally rare.
- Compatibilidade e companheiros de tanque
- 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.
- Nível do tanque
- Middle
- Luciocephalus pulcher stays near the water surface. They need dense floating plants for camouflage. They rarely visit the bottom.
Modelos e parâmetros científicos
FishBase
Acesso aos dados científicos oficiais da espécie
FishBase v25.04Dados sincronizados em: 15/06/2026
- Nível trófico
- 3,4 ± 0,4 se
- Resiliência
- Alta (menos de 15 meses)
- Unicidade filogenética (PD50)
- 0.75
- Relação bayesiana comprimento-peso
- a = 0.00389, b = 3.12
- VulnerabilidadeVulnerabilidade baixa (14 / 100)
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