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Distichodus sexfaciatus, Boulenger, 1897

Origin: Central Africa, middle and lower Congo river.

Etymology: sexfasciatus(L.): with six stripes.

Synonyms: None

First European import: 1953?

Description: See pictures

Care: These fish are only suitable for larger aquaria, with similar sized co-inhabitants. These fish are best kept in soft, slightly acidic water, that should be well filtered. Some stones and driftwood should be used to create suitable hiding places. In general a peaceful fish, that inhabits the lower regions of a tank, and is best kept in groups of 6 or more. Single kept fish can become very aggressive! The attractive colors of juvenile fish, as can be seen in the picture, fade a little as the fish grow older.

Temperature: 24-27 degrees.

Feeding: Plants, vegetable matter, worms but also flake and frozen food.

Size:Up to 25 cm.

pH: 6.0-7.5 Hardness: Best under 10 dGH.

Breeding: Has not been bred in aquaria.

Sexual dimorphism:Unknown

Prices: Unknown.

Additional: There are a number of (sub) species, some of which can be as large as 1 meter. Some species are used for human consumption in parts of Africa.

Picture references: All pictures E. Naus

References: Mills, D. and Vevers, G.(1985): Het tropisch aquarium boek. Icob cv, Alphen aan de Rijn, The Netherlands. Baensch, H. A., Riehl, R.(1982): Aquarien Atlas I. Mergus Verlag, Melle, Germany.

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