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Blanchard's perchelet (Glossamia aprion) — Apogonidae

Blanchard's perchelet

Glossamia aprion
Family: Apogonidae
LC · Least Concern

The Blanchard's perchelet (Glossamia aprion) is a freshwater fish of the family Apogonidae that grows up to 18 cm.

Length
18 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Mixed bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The mouth almighty is a freshwater cardinalfish of the family Apogonidae from Australia and New Guinea. The species grows to about 18 cm and has a stocky, brownish mottled body with a conspicuously large mouth. It inhabits still or slowly flowing parts of streams, pools, lakes and swamps. As an ambush predator with its large mouth it engulfs small fishes, shrimps and insects. The English and Dutch names refer to that conspicuously large mouth. Like other cardinalfishes it is a mouthbrooder: the male broods the eggs in its mouth. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Blanchard's perchelet?

The Blanchard's perchelet has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly brown and shows a marbled pattern.

Where does the Blanchard's perchelet live?

The Blanchard's perchelet lives in fresh water and is mostly found around mixed bottom.

How big does the Blanchard's perchelet get?

The Blanchard's perchelet grows to a maximum of about 18 cm. On average the species is around 12 cm.

Is the Blanchard's perchelet dangerous to humans?

No, the Blanchard's perchelet is harmless to humans.

Is the Blanchard's perchelet edible?

The Blanchard's perchelet is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Almachtige bekvis sourced
English name
Blanchard's perchelet verified
Scientific name
Glossamia aprion
Family
Apogonidae
Other names
Flabby; Gill's cardinalfish; Glossamia; Gobbleguts; Mouth almighty verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
18.0 verified
Average length (cm)
12.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Marbled inferred
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Mixed bottom sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

More from the family Apogonidae

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