Species Profiles
2742 articles- Giant Pangasius Care GuidePangasius sanitwongsei is a critically endangered Mekong and Chao Phraya giant catfish that grows to about 3 m and is unsuited to home tanks
- Pyjama Synodontis Care GuideSynodontis flavitaeniatus is a Congo Basin catfish with yellow-and-brown horizontal banding, suited to soft to neutral water and caves.
- Ornate Synodontis Care GuideSynodontis ornatipinnis is a Congo Basin catfish with intricate marbled patterning and ornate banded fins, suited to soft to neutral water.
- Zambezi Synodontis Care GuideSynodontis zambezensis is a southern African squeaker from the Zambezi that shelters upside-down and tolerates a wide temperature range.
- One-Spot Synodontis Care GuideSynodontis notatus is a hardy Congo Basin catfish usually marked with a single dark flank spot, undemanding in soft to neutral water.
- Waterlot's Synodontis Care GuideSynodontis waterloti is a robust West African catfish often confused with S. ocellifer, suited to soft to neutral water and spacious tanks.
- Brichard's Synodontis Care GuideSynodontis brichardi is a striped rheophilic catfish from the lower Congo rapids that needs strong, well-oxygenated current.
- Large-Spot Synodontis Care GuideSynodontis ocellifer is a widespread West African catfish marked with large dark spots, reaching a substantial size in mature adults.
- Decorus Synodontis Care GuideSynodontis decorus is a large Congo Basin catfish with bold markings and an elongated dorsal-fin filament, suited to soft to neutral water.
- Lake Malawi Synodontis Care GuideSynodontis njassae is the only Synodontis endemic to Lake Malawi, a nocturnal catfish well matched to mbuna and other rift-lake cichlids.
- Granulosus Synodontis Care GuideSynodontis granulosus is a finely speckled catfish endemic to Lake Tanganyika, requiring hard alkaline water and robust tankmates.
- Dhont's Catfish Care GuideSynodontis dhonti is a large upside-down catfish endemic to Lake Tanganyika, suited to hard alkaline rift-lake aquariums with caves.
- Snow King Pleco (Pterygoplichthys ambrosettii) Care GuidePterygoplichthys ambrosettii, the Snow King pleco, is a large sailfin pleco from the Río de la Plata basin; a hardy bottom-dweller needing a
- Amazon Sailfin Pleco (Pterygoplichthys pardalis) Care GuidePterygoplichthys pardalis is a large spotted sailfin pleco from the Amazon basin, an air-breathing omnivore that grows very big and is invas
- Gold Nugget Pleco L081 (Baryancistrus sp. L081) Care GuideBaryancistrus sp. L081 is a black, yellow-spotted "gold nugget" pleco from the Rio Xingu; a herbivorous biofilm grazer needing a warm, spaci
- Snowflake Pleco L177 (Baryancistrus niveatus) Care GuideBaryancistrus niveatus is a large spotted Loricariid pleco from the Tocantins and Xingu basins; a herbivorous biofilm grazer needing a spaci
- Arnold's Otocinclus (Otocinclus arnoldi) Care GuideOtocinclus arnoldi is a small dwarf suckermouth catfish from the lower Paraná and Río de la Plata, a peaceful shoaling algae grazer for matu
- Flexilis Otocinclus (Otocinclus flexilis) Care GuideOtocinclus flexilis is among the largest dwarf suckermouth catfishes, from southern Brazil and the Laguna dos Patos drainage, a peaceful sho
- Hoppe's Otocinclus (Otocinclus hoppei) Care GuideOtocinclus hoppei is a tiny dwarf suckermouth catfish from the Amazon basin, a peaceful shoaling algae grazer for mature, planted aquaria.
- Mura's Otocinclus (Otocinclus mura) Care GuideOtocinclus mura is a tiny dwarf suckermouth catfish from the upper Amazon basin, a peaceful shoaling algae grazer best kept in groups in mat
- Maria's Otocinclus (Otocinclus mariae) Care GuideOtocinclus mariae is a tiny dwarf suckermouth catfish from the upper Madeira and lower Amazon, a peaceful shoaling algae grazer for mature,
- Mid-Stripe Otocinclus (Otocinclus affinis) Care GuideOtocinclus affinis is a small dwarf suckermouth catfish from the Rio de Janeiro region of Brazil, a peaceful shoaling algae grazer for matur
- Big-Spot Otocinclus (Otocinclus macrospilus) Care GuideOtocinclus macrospilus is a tiny dwarf suckermouth catfish from the upper Amazon, a shy, shoaling algae grazer best kept in groups of six or
- Striped Twig Catfish (Farlowella vittata) Care GuideFarlowella vittata is a twig catfish from Colombia and Venezuela, a peaceful, plant-safe algae grazer with a slender stick-like body needing
- Amazon Twig Catfish (Farlowella amazonum) Care GuideFarlowella amazonum is a stick-mimicking loricariid twig catfish from the Amazon and Orinoco basins, a peaceful, plant-safe algae grazer nee
- Bearded Whiptail (Sturisomatichthys barbatum) Care GuideA slender South American whiptail catfish of the family Loricariidae; males develop cheek bristles. Peaceful, plant-safe and an active dayti
- Panamanian Whiptail (Sturisoma panamense) Care GuideSturisoma panamense is a slender loricariid whiptail from Panama and Colombia, a peaceful, plant-safe algae grazer reaching about 26 cm.
- Black-Mouthed Whiptail (Sturisoma nigrirostrum) Care GuideSturisoma nigrirostrum is a slender whiptail catfish from the Ucayali River basin in Peru, named for its characteristic dark snout.
- Festive Whiptail (Sturisoma festivum) Care GuideSturisoma festivum, now placed in Sturisomatichthys, is a slender peaceful whiptail catfish from the Lake Maracaibo basin in Venezuela.
- Golden Whiptail (Sturisoma aureum) Care GuideSturisoma aureum, now placed in Sturisomatichthys, is a slender peaceful whiptail catfish from Colombian river basins that feeds mainly on p
- L397 Panaqolus (Panaqolus sp. L397) Care GuidePanaqolus sp. L397 is a small banded wood-eating loricariid catfish from Brazil, well suited to community tanks built around driftwood.
- Tiger Panaqolus L226 (Panaqolus changae) Care GuidePanaqolus changae is a small wood-eating loricariid catfish from the Itaya and Momon basins of Peru, marked with bold tiger striping.
- Titan Panaque L191 (Panaque sp. L191) Care GuidePanaque sp. L191 is a very large wood-eating loricariid catfish from Colombia, part of the group associated with the titan panaque.
- Watermelon Panaque L027 (Panaque armbrusteri) Care GuidePanaque armbrusteri is a large wood-eating loricariid catfish from the Tapajos River basin in Brazil, reaching over 40 cm in length.
- Blue-Eyed Panaque L240 (Panaque cochliodon) Care GuidePanaque cochliodon is a large jet-black wood-eating loricariid catfish endemic to the Cauca and Magdalena basins of Colombia, noted for blue
- Ucayali Peckoltia (Peckoltia ucayalensis) Care GuidePeckoltia ucayalensis, a synonym of Peckoltia bachi, is a small banded loricariid catfish from the upper Amazon and Ucayali region of Peru.
- Mustard Spot Peckoltia (L141) Care GuidePeckoltia snethlageae, now placed in Ancistomus, is a larger Tapajos-basin loricariid catfish with bold dark markings on a yellow body.
- Lineolus Peckoltia (L007) Care GuidePeckoltia lineolus is a small banded loricariid catfish of the upper Orinoco region, marked by thin dark lines on a tan body.
- Peckoltia furcata (L075) Care GuidePeckoltia furcata is a small banded loricariid catfish from the Ucayali River basin in Peru, with a distinctive forked caudal fin.
- Peckoltia brevis (L030) Care GuidePeckoltia brevis is a small armored loricariid catfish from the Purus River basin in Brazil, one of the early L-numbered plecos.
- Hypancistrus L411 (Hypancistrus sp. L411) Care GuideHypancistrus sp. L411 is a small Brazilian loricariid catfish with fine worm-line markings that requires a protein-rich, carnivorous diet.
- Super White Pleco L236 (Hypancistrus sp. L236) Care GuideHypancistrus sp. L236 is a small white-bodied loricariid catfish from the Rio Xingu in Brazil, kept by collectors for its variable patternin
- CW019 Long-Fin Gold Stripe Corydoras Care GuideCorydoras sp. CW019 is a peaceful, schooling Callichthyidae catfish kept on soft sand in groups. This guide covers tank setup, water paramet
- Evelyn's Corydoras Care GuideCorydoras evelynae is a small cory from the upper Solimões River, listed as Data Deficient and kept in peaceful schooling groups.
- Horseman Corydoras Care GuideCorydoras eques is a colourful cory from the Amazon basin in Brazil, kept in peaceful schooling groups.
- Elegant Corydoras Care GuideCorydoras elegans is a slender cory from the upper Amazon basin that, unusually, often swims in the upper water column rather than the botto
- False Blochi Corydoras Care GuideCorydoras delphax is an armoured catfish from the Inírida River and upper Orinoco basin in Colombia, often confused with C. melanistius.
- Slate Corydoras Care GuideCorydoras concolor is a solid-coloured cory from the Orinoco basin, listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.
- Bond's Corydoras Care GuideCorydoras bondi is a schooling cory with a dark midlateral stripe, native to the Orinoco region of Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname.
- Salt-and-Pepper Corydoras Care GuideCorydoras habrosus is a dwarf cory from the upper Orinoco basin in Venezuela and Colombia, well suited to planted nano community tanks.