Banjo Catfish Breeding Guide (Bunocephalus coracoideus)

Breeding Bunocephalus coracoideus: rarely achieved but possible; a group spawns at night, scattering eggs on the substrate that adults will then eat.

Overview

The Banjo Catfish, Bunocephalus coracoideus, is a small, sedentary, nocturnal catfish of the family Aspredinidae from the Amazon basin, reaching about 11 cm. It buries itself in the substrate by day and forages at night. Breeding is rarely achieved in aquaria but is possible.

Sexing

The species is difficult to sex. Adult females tend to be larger and rounder-bellied than males, but there are no other reliable external cues.

Breeding Setup

Maintain a group of at least half a dozen mature specimens for a spawning attempt. Because the adults will eat their own spawn, prepare a spare tank filled with water identical to the breeding tank so eggs can be transferred into it as they appear.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

The fish spawn at night, laying eggs directly onto the substrate. In the wild this species lays up to 4,000 eggs into sandy substrate, scattering them rather than guarding them.

Egg & Fry Care

There is no parental care, so eggs must be moved away from the adults. Eggs hatch in around 3 days, and once the fry have used up their yolk sacs they accept microworm or brine shrimp nauplii as first foods.

Common Challenges

The main difficulty is that adults consume the eggs, so prompt egg removal into a prepared tank is essential. The fish's secretive, buried habits also make conditioning and observing spawning behaviour challenging.