Common name : South American leaf fish, Amazon leaf fish
Scientific name : Monocirrhus polyacanthus
Family : Polycentridae
Native to : Brazil, Peru, Venezuela,
Colombia, Bolivia
Interesting fact : Leaf fish are extremely agile hunterscatching fairly large prey and consuming it in a fraction of a second.
Conservation status : Not Evaluated
The leaf fish lives in brackish waters, mimicking a dead leaf, rarely moving and thus hiding from predators and prey. This 3-inch long fish has a large head and mouth. They feed on small fish, aquatic insects and invertebrates. Females lay eggs on or under the surface of leaves and males care for the fries. Their lifespan is 5-8 years.
