Home / Fishes / Arowanas and elephantfish / Blunt-jawed elephantnose
No federal permit to keepBlunt-jawed elephantnose
Campylomormyrus tamandua
Fishes › Arowanas and elephantfish (Osteoglossiformes) › Mormyridae (Elephantfish)
The blunt-jawed elephantnose or wormjawed mormyrid (Campylomormyrus tamandua) is a species of elephantfish.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 66 in long and 33 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 16.9 in / 43 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 72–75°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 5–7.
- Hardness: 0–5 dGH.
- Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
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 71 × 24 in (roughly 171 US gallons); space needed is rated “very large tank”.
- Water: soft, acidic water, 73–82 °F, pH 5–7, 0–10 dGH.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “This nocturnal species prefers a dimly lit tank, and floating plants are a good idea to diffuse the light further.”
- Diet: “It will take frozen and live foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp, earthworms, tubifex etc.”
- Breeding: “It almost certainly hasn't been bred in aquaria.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Elephantfish
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: African elephantfish inhabit rivers and lakes, with Peters’s elephantnose using muddy, shaded, heavily vegetated slow-flowing river areas. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- For Gnathonemus petersii, 120 × 45 × 45 cm (48 × 18 × 18 in) is a starting size; a group needs a larger aquarium.
- Provide fine sand for probing with the sensitive lower lip; sharp or coarse substrate can damage its feeding apparatus.
- Use dim lighting, smooth rocks, driftwood and numerous shaded retreats.
- Maintain excellent water quality with biological filtration and water changes; Peters’s elephantnose is sensitive to deteriorating conditions.
- For Mormyrus, the family keeper reference specifies at least 150 cm (60 in) tank length, with further scaling to species and adult size.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 73–82°F |
Diet
- Live or frozen bloodworms, blackworms or white worms.
- Daphnia and other appropriately sized small crustaceans.
- Small prepared foods only where the individual demonstrably accepts them; verify that every fish eats.
Social life
- For G. petersii, use a suitably housed group of at least five to spread aggression; a pair risks severe bullying. Avoid aggressive or fast-feeding companions. Other mormyrids require species-specific grouping.
Health watch
- Emaciation when food is unsuitable or competitors take it.
- Lower-lip injuries from abrasive substrate.
- Water-quality-related illness and adverse reactions to aquarium medications.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It is found in rivers in West and Middle Africa. It is brown or black with a long elephant-like snout with the mouth located near the tip.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Blunt-jawed elephantnose” (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. Stays near the bottom. Its electric organ discharge (EOD) is steroid-sensitive. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 72–75 °F (22–24 °C), pH 5–7, hardness 5 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 72–75 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 90°F (up to 101°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 65°F (down to 61°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 76–82°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 69–81% on average (driest month about 67%) |
| Rainfall | about 1542 mm a year |
Measured at 52 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 blunt-jawed elephantnose or wormjawed mormyrid (Campylomormyrus tamandua) is a species of elephantfish. It is found in rivers in West and Middle Africa. It is brown or black with a long elephant-like snout with the mouth located near the tip. Its diet consists of worms, fish, and insects. — 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 |
| Biology | Its electric organ discharge (EOD) is steroid-sensitive (; 10764). — FishBase |
| History and naming | The Latin name is derived from the anteater genus Tamandua, referring to the aardvark-like shape of its snout. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
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.
Typical adult weight
Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Water hardness
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 71 × 24 in (about 171 US gallons).
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.
- Seriously Fish — gnathonemus petersii Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Practical Fishkeeping — Definitive guide to elephantnoses Experienced keeper or breederAdded 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.
