Banded African Whiptail Catfish (Phractura ansorgii) Care Guide
Phractura ansorgii is a small West African whiptail catfish of the family Amphiliidae, associated with flowing waters in Nigeria and Togo.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Phractura ansorgii is a small, slender catfish of the family Amphiliidae (loach catfishes) from West Africa. FishBase records a maximum total length of about 9 cm. The species is often associated with the vegetation of flowing waters.
Taxonomy
- Family: Amphiliidae
- Genus: Phractura
- Scientific name: Phractura ansorgii
- Authority: Boulenger, 1902
Habitat
According to FishBase the species is recorded from the lower Niger and Niger delta and the Oshun River in Nigeria, and from the Mono River basin in Togo. It is a freshwater, demersal fish that lives among the vegetation of flowing waters.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 150 L (40 gal)
- Temperature: 22-27 °C (72-81 °F)
- pH: 6.5-7.5
- GH: 5-15 °dGH
- Lifespan: 8-15 years
- Substrate: soft sand; well-oxygenated, moving water
Diet
Phractura ansorgii is an omnivore. It is a bottom-feeder best offered small sinking foods; in nature small whiptail catfishes of flowing waters graze on biofilm and small invertebrates among submerged vegetation.
Compatibility
This is a peaceful, bottom-dwelling and nocturnal species. It is best kept in a group in a well-aerated tank with current and gentle tankmates that will not outcompete it for food.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Endangered (EN), assessed 2019 according to FishBase.
Phractura ansorgii (African Whiptail Catfish) Breeding Guide
Overview
Phractura ansorgii is a small whiptail-type catfish of the African family Amphiliidae, the loach catfishes. According to FishBase it occurs in the lower Niger, the Niger delta and the Oshun River in Nigeria, and in the Mono River basin in Togo. It reaches about 9 cm TL and lives in tropical freshwater, with the genus often associated with the vegetation of flowing waters.
Habitat & water
FishBase reports this species from flowing tropical waters around 20 to 24°C, with pH about 6.3 to 7.2 and hardness roughly 10 to 18 dH. The genus's association with submerged vegetation in moving water suggests well-oxygenated, current-rich biotopes, which is the kind of environment any breeding attempt would need to imitate.
Conservation status
The IUCN Red List classifies Phractura ansorgii as Endangered (assessed 2019). Its restricted West African range and threatened status are further reasons that wild collection for breeding experiments is discouraged.
Why breeding is undocumented
Reproduction in Phractura is essentially unstudied in accessible literature, and there is no published account of spawning behaviour, egg deposition or fry rearing for P. ansorgii. Without verified data, any home-breeding protocol would be speculation; this species should be kept as a community oddity rather than a breeding target.