Photo from Aqualand Pets Plus
Scientific Name(s): Hoplias Malabaricuus

Common Name(s): Wolffish

Origin: Panama south to Brazil

Family: Erythrinidae

Species Type: Characins

Maximum Size: 20" in a large (100g+) tank, will grow larger in aquariums have been reports of up to 28-30 inches.

Life Span: 8-12 years

Natural Habitat: On the murky bottoms of rivers and estuaries. They hide in caves from Predators.

Diet: Anything living; fish, crustaceans, shrimp. They can swallow and devour most fish 2/3's their length. Armored catfish are one of the few that can survive an attack. Large pellet of food sticks are a good choice for a staple diet.

Temperature: 69 degrees to 81 degrees.

PH: 6.5 to 8.5

Minimum Tank Size: 75g as a juvi but they may outgrow this fast, a 180g is a better minimum for an adult species. Height isn't a problem, but a bigger footprint is always better. This species is not very active but still needs space due to it's large adult size.

Tank Region: Bottom

Temperament: These are very aggressive species and should be kept alone or mixed with larger fish.

Possible Tank Mates: Any large fish that stands it ground and can stay out of his way. This species can do damage to other fish quickly so make sure to choose large robust species that are faster than the wolf. Things like Caimens, a big shoal of Pirhanas, and Arapaima may make good tank mates.

Filtration and Setup: Since they eat so much and have no table manners, a very high powered filtration system is recommended. Set-up is a tank with big footprint and has plenty of cover, not for your other fish, for your wolf cause they like to hide from predators in the wild.

Coloration: Tan, in older specimens, a brown-black mix-mash.

Breeding: Few have bred in captivity, but in the wild, females lay 4,000+ eggs in a cave. Males fertilize the eggs and fans them till they become free swimming. Babies grow fast and can reach 1 foot in 6 months.

Fyi: Wolffish can breathe air, they can travel on land. Try to keep your tank covered as they can escape.