Freshwater Monsters

Habitat depicted… Lurking amongst fallen branches and submerged vegetation reside fish capable of gargantuan proportion! These freshwater inhabitants are native to several large scale flood plains throughout the world and have two things in common: they grow to tremendous size and they are highly skilled and spectacular hunters.

System Characteristics

Details about the exhibit (180 gallons)…

Organism Profiles

ORNATE BICHIR (POLYPTERUS ORNATIPINNIS)

Another common name for the Ornate Bichir is the “Dinosaur Eel” for its physical yet unrelated resemblance to eels and prehistoric fossil record. Their primitive lungs allow them to survive in low oxygen, capable of being out of water for hours so long as they stay wet. The Bichir can grow up to two feet long and is not to be trusted with smaller fish that can fit in their mouth. They are a nocturnal species hunting for fish, worms, and insect larvae.

TIGER OSCAR (ASTRONOTUS OCELLATUS)

A Tiger Oscar is recognizable for the marbled red pigments varying by individual. This species of cichlid can be found in tropical river basins across South America safeguarding their territories. Tiger Oscars are monogamous and mate for life, making them difficult to breed as they are picky with partners. They’re known to be very active and responsive to the sight of their owners in captivity.

ANGOLAN TILAPIA (OREOCHROMIS ANGOLENSIS)

The term Tilapia is a genus under the superfamily Cichlidae, hundreds of these species are widely used in aquaculture farming for its hardiness to varying conditions. The tilapia was first farmed and raised within ponds cultivated throughout Egypt approximately 4,000 years ago. Angolan tilapia are native to Africa in lakes and rivers, they need a tank with constant flow to mimic moving water. Fine grains as substrate is an important aspect because they are known to dig around the sandy bottom of their territory.

COMMON PLECO (HYPOSTOMUS PLECOSTOMUS)

The common pleco is a type of armored catfish with bony plates running down their backside that protect them from predators. Unique displays of black splotches litter their body, the base color brown varies by the environment in which they are from. Plecos are omnivorous, sucking up plant matter such as algae and any small meaty foods like shrimp and bloodworms. The common pleco is likely to exhibit aggressive and territorial behavior as they age and get bigger.