Reedfish

The reedfish (Erpetoichthys calabaricus) is a species of freshwater fish in the bichir family and order. It is the only member of the class Erpetoichthys. It is native to West Africa, with its natural habitat stretching from Nigeria to the Congo. Other common names include "ropefish" and "snakefish."

The reedfish has a maximum total length of 90 centimetres, and it is a very long, skinny fish (its length is about 24 times its height). It lives in slow-moving, brackish, warm water, and it can breathe air (meaning it is able to survive in water with low dissolved oxygen content). The reedfish is a nocturnal creature, feeding on worms, crustaceans and insects at night. The reedfish serves little purpose to humans, although it is sometimes displayed in aquariums. Its genus name Erpetoichthys derives from the Greek words erpeton ("creeping thing") and ichthys ("fish").

References

• "Erpetoichthys calabaricus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. October 2004 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2004.
• "Erpetoichthys calabaricus" (TSN 161058). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. N.p.: Integrated Taxonomic Information System, 2004. Accessed on 27 December 2004.
• "Erpetoichthys" (TSN 161057). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. N.p.: Integrated Taxonomic Information System, 2005. Accessed on 4 May 2005.