Home / Fishes / Gouramis, bettas, snakeheads / Leopard bush fish
No federal permit to keepLeopard bush fish
Ctenopoma acutirostre
Fishes › Gouramis, bettas, snakeheads (Anabantiformes) › Anabantidae (Climbing perch and bush fish)
The leopard bush fish (Ctenopoma acutirostre), also known as leopard bushfish, spotted ctenopoma, leopard ctenopoma, spotted climbing perch, spotted leaf fish, spotted cichlid or spotted bushfish, is a freshwater fish.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 30 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 5.9 in / 15 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 68–77°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 6–8.
- Hardness: 5–12 dGH.
- Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 47 × 12 in (roughly 29 US gallons); space needed is rated “large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 68–82 °F, pH 5.5–7.5, 2–12 dGH.
- Behaviour: kept alone; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Prefers a dimly-lit aquarium with a layer of surface vegetation, such as Ceratopteris spp., plus some submerged cover.”
- Diet: “An obligate predator which probably feeds on smaller fishes and invertebrates in nature, but in most cases adapts well to dead alternatives in captivity.”
- Breeding: “There are very few reports of this fish spawning in aquaria.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Gouramis and labyrinth fish
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Warm, still, vegetated waters. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Planted, calm tanks with floating plants; they breathe air at the surface, so leave a gap under the lid.
Diet
- Food acceptance is species-specific. Parosphromenus deissneri needs tiny live invertebrate foods and commonly refuses dried foods; a pellet/flake staple cannot cover every labyrinth fish.
Health watch
- Males are territorial; dwarf gourami iridovirus.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It is a member of the family Anabantidae, which is part of a group popularly known as labyrinth fish (gouramies and relatives). It is relatively common in the aquarium industry and is often sold as a beginners' "oddball" fish.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Leopard bush fish” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater. Uses both the bottom and open water. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 68–77 °F (20–25 °C), pH 6–8, hardness 5–12 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: open water/substratum egg scatterers. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 68–77 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 88°F (up to 89°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 66°F (down to 64°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 76–78°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 78–83% on average (driest month about 74%) |
| Rainfall | about 1660 mm a year |
Measured at 39 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The leopard bush fish (Ctenopoma acutirostre), also known as leopard bushfish, spotted ctenopoma, leopard ctenopoma, spotted climbing perch, spotted leaf fish, spotted cichlid or spotted bushfish, is a freshwater fish. It is a member of the family Anabantidae, which is part of a group popularly known as labyrinth fish (gouramies and relatives). It is relatively common in the aquarium industry and is often sold as a beginners' "oddball" fish. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Wild diet | In the wild, leopard bush fish will eat any fish or insect that they come across small enough to fit into their mouths. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Obligate air-breathing; An air-breathing species. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 47 × 12 in (about 29 US gallons).
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- Comparative Morphology of the Digestive Tract of African Bush Fish (Ctenopoma acutirostre) and Paradise Fish (Macropodus opercularis) Inhabiting Asian and African Freshwaters Adamek-Urbańska D et al., Animals: an open access journal from MDPI 2023
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional diseases of fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Seriously Fish — Parosphromenus deissneri Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
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