Aquarist Atlas
Oddballs & Brackish · Leaf fish · Polycentropsis

Polycentropsis abbreviata

Boulenger, 1901

African leaffish

3 cited sourcesName checked against Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes, update of

IUCNLEAST CONCERN · 2019
CARESNOT LISTED
Type localityJunction of Ethiop River and Jamieson River, Niger Deltaper Catalog of Fishes
Scientific size2.5 in6.7 cm standard length
Temperature79–86 °F26–30 °C
pH6–6.5soft / slightly acidic
Depth—not recorded
DietAmbush predator; small live fishes and invertebrates, but FishBase records no diet
BreedingNot documented in the sources used by the atlas
Sexual dimorphismNot documentedNot documented in the sources used by the atlas
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

Polycentropsis abbreviata, the African leaffish, is a small West African rainforest fish. Boulenger described it in 1901 from the Niger Delta, and FishBase gives a maximum of 2.5 in SL.

What's in the name

abbreviata
  • abbreviatusLatin — shortened

Taxonomy & naming

Polycentropsis abbreviata was described by Boulenger in 1901 from the junction of the Ethiop and Jamieson Rivers in the Niger Delta. It is the only species of Polycentropsis, in Polycentridae, the family it shares with the South American Polycentrus and Monocirrhus. FishBase lists the name African leaffish. The genus name means like Polycentrus.

Morphology

FishBase gives a maximum length of 2.5 in SL, and notes a reported total length of up to 3 in. The body is leaf-shaped and mottled brown, a camouflage that lets it drift like a dead leaf.

Habitat

FishBase says it occurs in rainforest areas and gives a temperature of 26 to 30 C and a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. It does not list a distribution, so the atlas records only the Niger Delta type locality.

Feeding

Diet is not recorded by FishBase. Leaffishes are ambush predators that take small live fishes and invertebrates.

Mating

Courtship has not been described in the sources used by the atlas.

Breeding

Breeding is not described in the sources used by the atlas.

In the aquarium

Keep it in soft, acidic, warm water in a planted tank with leaf litter and cover, with FishBase's 26 to 30 C and pH 6.0 to 6.5 as the guide. It is a slow ambush feeder that takes live foods, so it should not share a tank with active fish that out-compete it. It is small enough for a species tank.

Conservation

The IUCN Red List lists Polycentropsis abbreviata as Least Concern, assessed 7 June 2019.

Common questions

African leaffish (Polycentropsis abbreviata): how big does it get?
Up to 2.5 in standard length (SL).
African leaffish (Polycentropsis abbreviata): what water temperature does it need?
The atlas records 79–86 °F for this species.
African leaffish (Polycentropsis abbreviata): what water chemistry suits it?
pH 6–6.5.
African leaffish (Polycentropsis abbreviata): where does it come from?
It is recorded from Nigeria.

Biotope tank mates

Atlas fish recorded from the same waters, whose recorded temperature and pH ranges overlap this one’s and whose adults are within twice its size. A shortlist to research, not a stocking plan: temperament, territory and diet are not checked. Other genera only; this genus is compared below.

Also from the Niger Delta

Sources

  1. FishBase — Polycentropsis abbreviata Boulenger, 1901
  2. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (California Academy of Sciences) — Polycentropsis abbreviata
  3. IUCN Red List — Polycentropsis abbreviata

Naming authority: Polycentropsis abbreviata in Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes ↗

Last reviewed 2026-10-05.

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Polycentropsis abbreviata. Aquarist Atlas.https://www.aquaristatlas.com/oddballs/polycentropsis-abbreviata/

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Where it has been recorded

53 georeferenced records (GBIF). Each point is a field observation or museum specimen — pan and zoom to explore where this species turns up. The coordinates come straight from GBIF and are often rounded or tied to the nearest town or river landing, so a dot can sit just beside the actual water rather than in it.

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