Whiptail Catfish

The whiptail catfish is a small suckermouth catfish that resembles a lizard, with a flat, slender body, a long caudal peduncle and a color that almost disappears against sand. It is one of the members of the genus Rineloricaria most often found in aquariums; in older sources it also appears in the genus Hemiloricaria.

It is easy to care for and breeds readily in the aquarium. The only important point to watch is temperature: this species comes from cooler, subtropical waters and becomes ill if kept above 26°C for long periods. It should not be kept with warm-water fish such as discus.

It lives in slow- to moderately flowing rivers and streams with sandy or fine gravel bottoms in the Paraguay River basin. It camouflages itself among leaf and twig debris on the bottom.

• Volume: 60 liters and 60 cm in length for a small group.
• Substrate: Soft sand or fine gravel; an open bottom area.
• Hiding: Roots, leaf litter and tubes 2–3 cm in diameter for breeding.
• Water: 21–24°C is ideal; clean, oxygenated water; gentle flow.

Omnivorous. Sinking wafers and granules, frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp and daphnia, and blanched vegetables can be given. Since it feeds on the bottom, make sure the food reaches the bottom; it may fall behind fast corydoras schools in the competition for food.

Calm and peaceful. It can stay motionless in the same spot for hours. It leaves other fish and shrimp alone and does not damage plants. It is often seen during the day as well, which makes it easier to observe than nocturnal plecos.

Good companions: Calm fish that like cool to warm water: small tetras, rasboras, danios, corydoras (aeneus, paleatus), otocinclus, shrimp.

Avoid: Discus and species that need warm water, cichlids that claim the bottom, fin-nippers.

It can be kept singly, but a group of a few individuals is more natural. Males push each other over tubes during the breeding season but do no harm. For breeding, 1 male and 1–2 females are enough.

It breeds easily in the aquarium. The male claims a tube or a narrow cave; the female sticks her eggs there and the male guards them, fanning them for about a week to ten days. The fry are raised on fine powdered food, microworms and crushed wafers.

Hardy. High temperatures, low oxygen and sharp gravel cause problems. It is sensitive to copper. A sunken belly line in newly arrived individuals is a sign of starvation; give food just before the lights go off, in a form that sinks to the bottom.

Mature males develop short, brush-like odontodes on the sides of the head and on the pectoral fin rays; their heads are also slightly wider. Females are plumper when viewed from above.