Bronx Zoo- Congo Gorilla Forest- Interesting Freshwater Butterflyfish Exhib

February 23rd, 2012

I\'m sorry for the terrible photo, but this is easily one of my favorite tanks in the entire zoo. There is a slanted mirror above the open-top tank, with the front of the tank covered. The idea is that you are a heron, trying to pluck one of the fish from the water. But because of the fish\'s fins, which resemble plants floating on the surface, it makes it much harder to point one of them out! I love the idea!

They look lke the African freshwater butterflyfish Pantodon buchholzi to me.

An interesting exhibit idea, too.

Thank you for the identification, DesertRhino150.

But now the headline is absolutely confusing: Freshwater butterfly!!??? This must be a big sensation and another unique species for the Bronx Zoo...

Woops! Thanks for pointing that out! /

Well, what can I say? I'm cool like that.

Not really, they are regularly imported and have been bred several times in aquaria - although the fry are said to be difficult to raise. They are related to the arowanas and are good jumpers, with those huge pectoral fins they rather remind me of flying fishes.
I really like the innovative display - can you view the tank from the front/side as well?

Alan

Well, zoomanic was only joking, as I re-edited as freshwater butterfly. I think? (maybe not)

Anyway, there is some sort of "screen" blocking the front of the tank. If you look straight ahead, you see the mirror, the tank from a top view. There is a button on the signage. If you push the button, the screen disappears and you can see the fish from underwater. I'm not quite sure how they do this. I'm not familiar with that kind of... "technology"... I'm sure it's nothing too sophisticated.