Tropical Fish Hobbyist - October 2010

threatened. In the unlikely event that the fish is found by a prospective predator as it hides in the leaves, its rapid change in color helps it disappear as it moves to a more favorable hiding place.

Monster Catfishes

Monster cats require serious thought before purchasing. Unfortunately many are easily available at your favorite fish retailer, often without reference to their eventual size and requirements. Some may be kept reasonably if you have an aquarium or pond measuring in the thousands of gallons, but most of us aren’t that fortunate.

Iridescent sharks Pangasianodon
hypophthalmus and their relatives are not
appropriate for any size tank. Even in large
South American redtail catfish
Phractocephalus hemioliopterus are also
commonly available without reference to
their immense growth potential. When
young they are cute, but they also get very
big. Unlike the iridescent sharks, however,
these can be kept in large indoor ponds
at full size quite safely. They may become
friendly to their owners, allowing a pat on
the head or scratch of the belly from time
to time. They won’t be so friendly to other
tankmates though—they’re predatory, and
at more than 50 inches they can swallow
really large tankmates.

Andrzej Zabawski

The chameleon loricaria Pseudohemiodon apithanos can change color based on its environment or mood.

The Predators

For those who are inclined to keep larger, predatory fish in their home aquarium, here are some suggestions for slightly less immense catfishes that may fit into an aquarium of a size that you’d actually see in someone’s home. At the top of this list for beauty is jaguar catfish Liosomadoras oncinus, which have stunning black and gold patterns on them like the feline hunters above the waters in which they live. They reach about 10 inches and are shaped like dive-bombers, with a blunt mouth and powerful body for quick snatches of prey.

If you love the shovelnose catfishes, a good alternative to the big guys is the Lima shovelnose Sorubim lima, which tops out at about 20 inches. Young specimens have a beautiful flag tail and hang in the water at a peculiar angle, waiting for prey to wander by.

The black lancer Bagrichthys macracanthus is another dramatically colored catfish. It’s pitch black with a white pinstripe along its lateral line. The body shape is more remarkable, with arched shoulders behind the head and a tall, pennant-shaped dorsal fin. At 10 inches, it is suitable for large tanks.

enclosures they are constantly banging themselves against the sides of tanks, putting them at risk for nasty infections and injuries. They grow to over 4 feet long, the length of a standard 55-gallon tank.

Tiger shovelnose catfishes Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum and P. tigrinum (not to be confused with the aforementioned Brachyplatystoma tigrinum) are also commonly available fish that should be avoided for the same reason. These have duckbill-shaped mouths that are almost always seen damaged on larger specimens, even when kept in large public aquarium displays.

warm ponds, but don’t try to pet them if you value your hands!

There are a couple more giant catfish that merit mention, not because you might see them for sale for your aquarium, but because they are among the largest freshwater fishes in the world. In the murky depths of Eurasian rivers lurks Silurus glanis, the European wels. One of these was measured at over 16 feet and nearly 700 pounds!

The runner-up for size is a relative of the iridescent shark: the Mekong giant catfish Pangasianodon gigas, with the largest recorded catch weighing only 30

Cleanup Crew

In addition to the interesting, beautiful, and downright bizarre catfishes, there are those that are useful for helping to maintain the aquarium. Otocinclus species, in schools of at least three or preferably many more, do a great job of cleaning algae in planted tanks, especially golden-brown diatoms. They can be kept in fairly small aquaria because they don’t grow much past an inch long.

Bushynose plecos Ancistrus species also do a good job of cleaning algae and don’t get as large as common plecos often sold for the task. They may chew through larger-leaved aquarium plants like swordplants or Cryptocoryne but otherwise will leave plants alone.