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Catfish
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Akysis hendricksoni
 Synonyms:
none
Common Names:
none
Family: Akysidae
Continent: Asia
Distribution: Malaysia & Thailand
Habitat: rivers & streams
Food: small livefoods and sinking commercial foods
Water Temperature: 22-30°C,
Water Chemistry:
pH 7 or lower
FBAS Size: 50mm approx
FBAS Class: G
Additional Information:
Akysis are not well documented, mostly having their pictures confused
with one another on the internet. The fish pictured here could be one of
three species; the most likely alternative is A. longifilis. The two
saddles behind the dorsal fin & long barbels being diagnostic features.
Without seeing the side view it is not possible to be precise about the
identification. All Akysis remain small, about 50mm, and have very
colourful marking for a catfish. The main body colour ranges from yellow/tan
to almost brick red, with a variety of brown markings which are said to be
similar within a species. It has been postulated that females are
yellow while males are red. They are gluttonous eaters which like to bury
themselves in the substrate. I recently bought, what I thought were the last
three in the tank, when the net was introduced, the gravel exploded and
another 20-30 darted around the tank.
Amblydoras
hancocki
 Synonyms:
Doras hancockii
Common Names:
Blue-eye Catfish, Talking Catfish
Family: Doradidae
Continent: South America
Distribution: Guyana to Columbia
Habitat: coastal areas, swamps & flood plains
Food: small live foods and sinking commercial foods
Water Temperature: 22-28°C
Water Chemistry:
around pH 7
FBAS Size: 100mm
FBAS Class: G
Additional Information:
One of the 'Talking Catfish' it make a croaking noise to defend itself from predators. This feat is achieved by it rotating its pectoral spines in their sockets. Lives in large schools, males white below; females
speckled - bubble nest builder but breeding unknown in aquaria.
Brachyrhamdia imitator
 Synonyms:
Pimelodella imitator
Common Name:
Imitator Catfish
Family: Heptapteridae
Continent: South America
Distribution: Venezuela, Columbia
Habitat: rivers & streams
Food: small livefoods and sinking commercial foods
Water Temperature: 21-27°C
Water Chemistry:
pH 7 & or less
FBAS Size: 85mm
FBAS Class: G
Additional Information:
An imitator of Corydoras melanistus, which it closely resembles in real life. A small number of these naked catfish hide in the shoals of Corydoras for safety.
Brachyrhamdia marthae
 Synonyms:
Pimelodella marthae
Common Names:
Family:
Heptapteridae
Continent:
South America
Distribution:
Peru
Habitat: rivers & streams
Food:
small live foods and sinking commercial foods
Water Temperature: 21-27°C
Water Chemistry:
pH 7or less
FBAS Size:
90mm
FBAS Class:
G
Additional Information:
Erethistes hara
 Synonyms:
Hara hara
Common Names: Helicopter Catfish
Family:
Erethistidae
Synonyms:
Hara buchanani, Hara hara, Pimelodus hara
Continent:
Asia
Distribution:
China, India, Myanmar, Nepal
Habitat: rivers & streams
Food:
small livefoods and sinking commercial foods
Water Temperature: 12-28°C
Water Chemistry:
pH 6-7.5
FBAS Size:
80mm
FBAS Class:
G
Additional Information:
Hypostomus
margaritifer
 Synonyms:
Plecostomus margaritifer
Common Names: none
Family: Loricariidae
Continent: South America
Distribution: Parana River
Habitat: rivers & streams
Food: small livefoods and sinking commercial foods
Water Temperature: 24-27°C
Water Chemistry:
pH 7 or less
FBAS Size:
250mm
FBAS Class:
G
Additional Information:
 Noturus
insignus
Synonyms:
Pimelodus insigne
Common Names: Madtom, Brindled Madtom
Family:
Ictaluridae
Continent: North America
Distribution: Great Lakes to Southern States
Habitat: stream, rivers & lakes
Food: livefood and sinking commercial foods
Water Temperature: 0-20°C
Water Chemistry:
around pH 7
FBAS Size:
none, suggest 200mm
FBAS Class:
G
Additional Information: One of the North American species
requiring a license to be kept in the UK.
Oxydoras niger
 Synonyms:
Pseudodoras niger
Common Names: Ripsaw Catfish, Black Doras, Black shield Catfish
Family:
Doradidae
Continent: South America
Distribution: Amazon & Orinoco river systems
Habitat: stream, rivers & lakes
Food: small livefoods and sinking commercial foods
Water Temperature: 21-24°C
Water Chemistry:
around pH 7
FBAS Size:
none, suggest 600mm
FBAS Class:
G
Additional Information: It is capable of reaching great size in aquaria. Brian Risbridger spent the night on a camp bed next to a tank containing a very large specimen. So much water was splashed
on him as the fish fed, he had to move the bed to stay dry.
Phractocephalus hemioliopterus
 Synonyms:
Phractocephalus bicolor
Common Names: Redtail Catfish
Family: Pimelodidae
Continent: South America
Distribution: Amazon & Orinoco
Habitat:
muddy bottom of lake
Food: crabs, fish, fruit in the wild, large meaty foods and sinking commercial foods
in captivity
Water Temperature: 21-26°C
Water Chemistry:
pH 5.5-6.5
FBAS Size: 600mm
FBAS Class: Ga
Additional Information:
An important food fish in its native country.
Silurus glanis
Synonyms:
Silurus silurus
Common Names:
Wels, European Catfish, European Sheat
Family: Siluridae
Continent: Europe
Distribution: Lake Tanganyika
Habitat:
deep rivers and lakes throughout continental Europe
Food:
large, meaty food, will take prepared food in captivity
Water Temperature: 4-20°C
Water Chemistry:
pH7+, will enter brackish water
FBAS Size: 750mm (historic 2001) can reach 5 metres in the wild
FBAS Class: G
Additional Information: This fish is not native to the British Isles
but has been introduced, sometimes illegally, as a sports fish.
Synodontis multipunctatus
 Synonyms:
none
Common Names:
Family: Mochokidae
Continent: Africa
Distribution: Lake Tanganyika
Habitat:
muddy bottom of lake
Food:
snails, small livefoods and sinking commercial foods
Water Temperature: 21-25°C
Water Chemistry:
pH 8-9
FBAS Size: 200mm (historic 2001)
FBAS Class: G
Additional Information:
Synodontis
petricola
 Synonyms:
none
Common Names: Cuckoo Catfish
Family: Mochokidae
Continent: Africa
Distribution: Lake Tanganyica
Habitat: rocky place in lake
Food: small livefoods and sinking commercial foods
Water Temperature: 21-25°C
Water Chemistry:
pH 8-9
FBAS Size: 115mm (historic 2005, FBAS Size Sheets)
FBAS Class: G
Additional Information:
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