Monocirrhus polyacanthus for sale (Amazon Leaf Fish) Ambush predator species from Peru

An amazing example of mirroring in nature, the Amazon Leaf Fish both looks and acts exactly like a dead leaf as a way to ambush its prey in the wild. When small fish approach too close, it extends its surprisingly large mouth and inhales them in one quick motion. This is a gap and suck predator! In the aquarium, they make for an extremely unique display fish to say the least, especially in small groups fish. Monocirrhus polyacanthus are peaceful with nearly any fish too big to be eaten, but tankmates should be chosen carefully as fast-moving or aggressive fish can cause them stress. Although they are relatively hardy eaters, feeding can be a challenge as they can be difficult to wean off from live food fish or insects.

The Amazon leaf fish oddball (Monocirrhus polyacanthus), or South American leaf fish, is a species of fish belonging to the family Polycentridae. It is found in the Amazon basin in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela, where it known to inhabit edges of rivers and lakes, and streams. Leaf fish are generally a low-density species that lives in slow-moving or essentially stagnant waters in areas with plant debris but this fish is an Ambush predator, feeding primarily on small fish and insects!