Enneacanthus gloriosus

27. August 2010

The Bluespotted Sunfish (Enneacanthus gloriosus) is a coldwater fish and a real oldtimer among aquarium fish. Aquarists used to name the up to 7.5 cm long fish “working class discus”, due to its brillant colours and the nice behaviour. However, it was never as expensive as the discus.

Bluespotted Sunfish occur in nature along the southeastern coastal region of the US. Here they live in ponds and slow moving rivers with clear water and a dense vegetation. In the aquarium they are not undemanding. They need clean, clear and preferably soft and slightly acidic water. Moreover they are said to be very anxious and can die when shocked.

Neverless it is not a big problem to fulfill these demands and a tank with Banded Sunfish belongs to the most beautiful looks one can have in the whole aquarium hobby. Like all sunfish, the Banded Sunfish usually refuses flake food, it is better to feed them on frozen and live food

The term “coldwater fish” is often misunderstood. In this case it does not mean that the tank for sunfish has to be cooled in living rooms. These species have no problem with temperatures as high as 26°C for some time. However, they need a cool period during winter at 4-10°C, otherwise they will not breed. In Central Europe this species will not survive extreme winters in the garden pond, so it is better to bring them in a cool cellar room from December to March.

For our customers: the fish has code 415203 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Lexicon: Enneacanthus: ancient Greek, means “with nine spines”. This refers to the structure of the dorsal fin. gloriosus: Latin, means “glorious”.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Angaben zum Tier
Herkunft Nachzucht / bred
Verfügbare Größe in cm 6-8