Description
African Butterfly Fish – A Living Fossil with Wings
(Pantodon buchholzi)
The African Butterfly Fish (Pantodon buchholzi) is a fascinating and unique surface-dweller native to slow-moving waters in West and Central Africa. With broad, wing-like pectoral fins and a prehistoric appearance, this fish glides just beneath the surface, mimicking a fallen leaf while patiently waiting to ambush prey. Ideal for calm, well-covered aquariums, it’s a must-have for oddball or blackwater setups.
Key Features:
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Gliding Appearance: Large, wing-like fins and upturned mouth perfect for top-dwelling
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Camouflage Master: Blends seamlessly with floating plants and leaf litter
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Small but Impressive: Grows to around 10–13 cm (4–5 inches)
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Peaceful Predator: Generally calm, but will eat small surface-dwelling tankmates
Tank Requirements:
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Minimum tank size: 75 liters (20+ gallons)
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Temperature: 24°C–30°C (75°F–86°F)
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pH: 6.0–7.5
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Prefers tanks with floating plants, subdued lighting, and minimal surface agitation
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Needs a tight-fitting lid—this fish is an excellent jumper
Compatibility:
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Best kept with peaceful, mid-to-bottom dwelling tankmates too large to be eaten
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Avoid fin-nippers and small surface fish
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Excellent for blackwater, biotope, or oddball-themed aquariums
Feeding Tips:
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Carnivorous surface-feeder—prefers live or frozen foods like crickets, flies, bloodworms, and floating insects
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May accept floating pellets with training
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Feed 1–2 times daily
Why Choose the African Butterfly Fish?
Elegant, ancient, and mysterious, the African Butterfly Fish adds a dramatic and naturalistic flair to your aquarium’s surface. Its hovering presence and stealthy feeding behavior make it a standout favorite among oddball enthusiasts and aquarists seeking something extraordinary.
Click & Collect
Livestock will only be bagged once you arrive, or if you contact us in advance to request it ready beforehand.
Local Delivery
Order anything from our in-store range and have it delivered right to you.
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Minimum spend: £50
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Delivery up to 10 miles: £10
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Delivery up to 25 miles: £20
Distances are measured “as the crow flies”, not by road.
Once your order is placed, we’ll be in touch to arrange a suitable delivery date and time.
Please note, delivery may take a little longer as we often group orders together to build an efficient delivery run.
Important: If you’re ordering a large aquarium, please ensure someone is available to help unload the van on arrival.
Dry Goods Delivery
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DPD Next Day: 1 working day (order before 12 noon)
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DX Next Day (Heavy Items & Small Aquariums): 1 working day (order before 12 noon)
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Express Pallet: 1–3 working days
If you'd like to add more items to an existing order that hasn't yet been dispatched, please place a Click & Collect order and leave a note asking us to combine the orders.
Please note: We currently only dispatch parcels Wednesday to Friday.
Pre-Order
Want the full details? Check out our Terms & Conditions.
Livestock Delivery
Thursday Delivery – £24
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Dispatched Wednesday afternoon
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Delivered Thursday before 1pm
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Order by Wednesday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
Friday Delivery – £24
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Dispatched Thursday afternoon
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Delivered Friday before 1pm
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Order by Thursday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
Saturday Delivery – £29
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Dispatched Friday afternoon
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Delivered Saturday before 1pm
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Order by Friday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
📦 Want to Add to an Existing Order?
No problem! Just place a Click & Collect order and leave a note asking us to link it with your original one (as long as it hasn’t been dispatched yet).
🛒 Dry Goods Now Included!
You can now include dry goods in your livestock delivery – perfect for topping up supplies in one go.
❄️ Please note: We can’t send frozen food with livestock – please order frozen items separately.
⚠️ Delivery Exclusions
Unfortunately, we’re unable to deliver livestock to the following postcodes:
Scotland & Isles:
AB30–AB56, DD8–DD10, DG3–DG9, DG12–DG14, FK17–FK21, KA18–KA19, KA26–KA30, PA20–PA38, PA80, PH3–PH40
Cornwall Isles: TR21–TR25
All of the following postcodes are excluded:
BT, HS, IM, IV, JE, KW
Plus Channel Islands and Shetland Islands
Payment & Security
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