There is also a red scat (scatophagus argus arromaculatus), a silver scat (scatophagus multifasciatus), and a spotted scat (Scatophagus argus argus), but Scatophagus tetracanthus (African Scat) is the largest of the Scatophagus, topping out at around 16".
The African Scat is considered venomous due to the poisonous spines on the dorsal fin. So be careful if you need to handle them.
I've read that they are a shoaling fish, but I've also read many accounts of a dominant Scat killing all the other scats in a tank over night, with no warning. We keep our 3 in separate tanks for safety. They all display distinctly different personalities and I believe it is due to their rank in each tank.
Common Name: African Scat
Scientific Name: Scatophagus tetracanthus
Temperature |
pH Range |
Hardness (dH) |
Max. Size |
Min. Tank Size |
Swim Area |
68F - 82F | 7.0 - 8.5 | 12-30 dH | 16 inches | 75 gallons | All Areas |
Indo-West Pacific: Somalia and Kenya to South Africa, Australia and Papua New Guinea. Also found in the rivers and lagoons of East Africa.
Life Span:Reported up to 20 years in captivity
Diet:Omnivore
Additional Diet Information:Mealtime is a scat's favorite part of the day. They are almost manic, darting around the tank to see what you are going to drop in. And African scats will eat anything. A good diet will mix veggies with meaty foods. Mine go crazy over bloodworms and frozen krill.
Gender Difference:Monomorphic
Breeding:Unknown
No reports of African scats breeding in captivity.
Temperament/Social Behavior:- Usually peaceful, but very aggressive during feeding
- Active
- Schooling fish/Usually found in groups in the wild
- Will eat smaller fish
- Territorial
- Can be aggressive to same species
African scats are susceptible to Ich and Velvet.
Availability:Rarely Seen
Alison, Cichlids and Herps
Please share any of your experiences as you spend more time with them. As of this moment, I believe you and I are the only ones who have them.