Features and behaviors of Clown Knifefish

Clown Knifefish Original Oddball are flat, silvery fish with an elongated body, a humpback, and a long anal fin that gives the knifefish its common name. They have a tiny dorsal fin and 5-10 black spots ringed with white that distinguishes them from all other fish in Florida; juveniles possess dark vertical bands instead of spots. Their long anal fin equally allows for the forward and backward movements.

They have two nasal tentacles located above their toothed mouth. They have no ventral fins but a flag-like dorsal fin in the center of the body.

Clown Knifefish Original Oddball Identifier

The Clown Knifefish has an odd body shape, a long fin that stretches across most of the bottom of its body, and a tiny dorsal fin.  This dorsal fin looks a little like a feather, which is how they get the name Feather back.  It is one of the few fish that can swim fast backwards, and when hooked will often use this ability to swim back away from a landing net.  They also often leap out of landing nets, so don’t let your guard down once you get one in there.

Diet:

Feeds on a variety of prey including small fish, insects, and grass shrimp.

Habitat:

Clown knifefish live in freshwater habitats such as lakes, swamps, and river backwaters. Young clown knifefish stay in schools among submerged roots and aquatic plants; adults tend to be loaners commonly found near the shorelines in areas with overhanging vegetation or docks; utilizing air to survive in warm, stagnant waters with little oxygen.

Angling:

Generally, the same light tackle used for largemouth and peacock bass is used for clown knifefish. A medium-action rod with a 20 lb monofilament leader will work great. Live bait or dead bait is the most effective method, but anglers can catch clown knifefish on artificial lures as well. Whichever way you choose, make sure it matches the main diet in the water at the time, such as worms, shad, or shiners. Shrimp patterns may also increase the chances of catching a large clown knifefish.