Pirate Perch

Pirate Perch is a nocturnal predator which is best kept on its own. Tank lighting, if provided, should be subdued. Dense clumps of shade-loving plants should also be provided. It grows to the size of around 13 cm or 5 inches. In the wild this fish can live as long as four years. Its scientific name is Aphredoderus sayanus. More about Pirate Perch is harmonized in the account below.

Geographical distribution

Habitat

Pirate Perch generally lives over muddy areas in calm water bodies like ditches, swamps, pools of creeks, ponds and on muddy and sandy lowest part of rivers. Adult Pirate Perch lives on leaf litter covered bottoms.

Diet

Pirate Perch is a carnivorous fish. It prefers to eat young marine insects, at times small fish and tiny crustaceans are also enjoyed by it.

Breeding

About the spawning of Pirate Perch, there are different ideas. Now, it is believed that it spawns underwater in root masses. It uses its forward facing urogenital pores for depositing eggs and releasing sperm into the floating shelter. From about 2004, latest research powerfully implies that the eggs are deposited and/or fertilized during manifold spawning procedures. Male protects nest from other males to allow eggs to fertilize.

Physical Characteristics

Pirate Perch is of grayish color. It has black spots. A thin, perpendicular and dark bar is seen at the bottom of tail fin and below the eye. Its dorsal fin is single and its head-sides have rough scales. Its tail fin is somewhat jagged, not severely forked. A sharp spine covers the gill. It has a moderately large mouth with a lower jaw projecting slightly. This fish is sexually dimorphic with females. Females are more full-bodied and bigger in size than males. The most striking feature of Pirate Perch is that its anus migrates when it matures. It finally comes to the throat area.

Tank Set Up

There area no critical demands from Pirate Perch as far as water preferences are concerned. This fish is able to tolerate wide range of temperature even if it is not tropical. Provide plants and rocks in its tank as it needs hiding places on account of being an introvert.

Social Behavior

Pirate Perch is an introvert fish. It becomes active at dusk and prefers to be fed at night. It seems that their life history is same as that of sunfishes. Similarity is seen in moving into the more open water areas at once after hatching and remaining there for more than a few weeks before coming back to the areas close to the shore. Basically, this fish maintains a solitary existence. It seeks protection during daylight in aquatic plants or organic debris. When it is dark, it feeds on immature aquatic insects, small crustaceans and occasionally on small fish. Pirate Perch is a nocturnal eater and is most active at peaks- just after dark and just before dawn.

Pirate Perch is a fish of weedy habitats and slow waters. During high flows, it takes shelter under overhanging banks and in weed beds. This fish is a shy and introvert one. The above account has nicely harmonized most of the information about Pirate Perch. So if you are keen to adorn your aquarium with this fish, go ahead, as it will be easy for you now to take good care of your dear pet fish.