# No snakeheads?? Get a bowfin!



## Fruitbat (Jan 2, 2004)

For those of you in the U.S. who are dying for a snakehead but can't get one because they're illegal....might I suggest the bowfin, _Amia calva_. If you live east of the Rockies you probably have some place within 100 miles of you where you can catch one yourself.

Some info:

Size: Up to 1 meter (39 inches) for a large adult
Weight: Over 5 kg
Appearance: remarkably like a snakehead in general shape. Young are nicely patterned...adults are just downright ferocious looking!
Food: Anything they can fit in their mouth. Fish, crayfish, amphibians, snakes, and small mammals that swim in their general vicinity.
Disposition: relatively peaceful when young....a lot more aggressive as adults.
Water parameters: As long as it is clean...they couldn't care less.

Check these links for some interesting pictures. Look at the close-ups of the head in the second link for some teeth!

http://www.gen.umn.edu/research/fish/fishes/bowfin.html

http://www.bowfinanglers.com/photos2002.html


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## crazyklown89 (Aug 28, 2003)

crazy


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## Fruitbat (Jan 2, 2004)

Yep....crazy....I've kept a few before and I've always thought they were every bit as impressive as _Channa_...though not as 'pretty'. Bowfins are legal and are swimming around in a lake or river near you!


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## Lahot (May 20, 2003)

I asked a lfs owner about bowfins one time, he said in all his years of owning the store he has never seen them available on a distributor's listing


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## piranha45 (Apr 8, 2003)

Lahot said:


> I asked a lfs owner about bowfins one time, he said in all his years of owning the store he has never seen them available on a distributor's listing


 http://jonahsaquarium.com/picamiacalva.htm


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## piranha45 (Apr 8, 2003)

bowfin and the south american wolf fish species are said by current owners to be much more lazy and sedate than large snakeheads, and prefer to just sit motionless than swim around.


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## 74ray (Feb 21, 2003)

Bowfins are illegal in California. They faces are ugly as hell anyways.


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## Fruitbat (Jan 2, 2004)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. I imagine that Bowfin faces are REALLY ugly to the critter they're about to eat!!

And yes....adult Bowfins DO sit around on the bottom quite a bit...until they're hungry. THEN you should see them spur into action....it is quite impressive!


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## Polypterus (May 4, 2003)

Fruitbat said:


> For those of you in the U.S. who are dying for a snakehead but can't get one because they're illegal....might I suggest the bowfin, _Amia calva_. If you live east of the Rockies you probably have some place within 100 miles of you where you can catch one yourself.
> 
> Some info:
> 
> ...


 Amen my friend you have taste

Bowfins are a hell of alot more interesting than a snakehead,
One of the top fish on my list as being truly interesting animals,
Bowfins are great aquarium fish for those who can house one, they are very
"personable" and truly show a "personallity" very very nice fish
I highly recommend one to anyone with the space and time to care for one.


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## Fruitbat (Jan 2, 2004)

Oh...as for _Hoplias malabaricus_, the South American Wolf Fish....I've had them too. Yep....ugly as sin with a personality to match. I watched one eat a similar-sized snakehead once. It wasn't a pretty sight.


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## crazyklown89 (Aug 28, 2003)

how big a tank 240g?


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## piranha45 (Apr 8, 2003)

crazyklown89 said:


> how big a tank 240g?


for a 3-foot fish? No. more in the 500g range, at least


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## Fruitbat (Jan 2, 2004)

I kept mine in a custom 450gal tank before I converted it to an African river tank for my Polypterids and their friends. The local aquarium happily took my Bowfins and put them in an enormous tank with their gars. That was about 20 years ago. When I visited the aquarium about 5 years ago the female Bowfin was still alive and looked like she was about 60cm long.


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## Polypterus (May 4, 2003)

You can easily keep a bowfin in a 120, that though will be the only fish
in there, males are better than females for a small tank, either will work out though, Bowfin tend to stay fairly small in captivity, a large tank is best
for them though if you desire to have a community of fish,

Even then thats not always totally sucessfull, Bowfin are very territorial fish
they are best kept alone.


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## Black-Phoenix (Oct 21, 2003)

I think it is amazing how they share there nests with shiners. Normally they wouls be eaten but not regularly will garding there nest. Cool.


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## crazyklown89 (Aug 28, 2003)

piranha45 said:


> crazyklown89 said:
> 
> 
> > how big a tank 240g?
> ...


 oh I thought it said 1 foot my bad


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

is there any drawf species of bowfin or wolf fish. i hate it how other people are rich and can afford that kinda stuff. but i cant


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## Polypterus (May 4, 2003)

There is only one Bowfin so sorry
Amia calva is the one and only,

There are three (Four) some Wolffish nice fishys

Bowfin are cheap for me I just go out and catch them,
I really care as much about wolffish as P's a waste of time.


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## crazyklown89 (Aug 28, 2003)

oh......wolf fish are 16 at my LFS they look cool I wish they stayed under 9"


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## o snap its eric (Feb 19, 2003)

wolfish is still illegal at some states. I think a bowfin is a good idea instead of sh. Although bowfins are also illegal at some states.


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