10. Catfishes (710)

  • Ancistrus sp. L184 (= L107)

    18. March 2022

    One of the most attractive Ancistrus species is this so far not scientifically identified species from the middle Rio Negro in Brazil. There the beautiful fish is not rare, in some places even very common, but the species apparently prefers biotopes which are avoided by the local fishermen; otherwise it can hardly be explained why […]

  • Rineloricaria lanceolata “Red Dun“

    11. March 2022

    For the first time we can offer the breeding form “Red Dun” of the Chocolate Whiptail Catfish. This new breeding form goes back to a wild-caught male that we were able to import from Paraguay in November 2015 (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/rineloricaria_lanceolata_en/). We gave it, together with some normal females of the same import, to our breeder […]

  • Hypancistrus contradens L201a Big Spots

    4. March 2022

    From the lower Rio Ventuari in Venezuela – the largest tributary of the Orinoco – as well as from the Orinoco itself in the Ventuari estuary comes a beautiful Hypancistrus. It has large, bright spots on a deep black ground. The coloration of the spots is varying between shy white and orange-pink. There is a […]

  • Synodontis polli “White”

    25. February 2022

    Some time ago a small Synodontis appeared in the hobby, which is called “White Polli”. But the “White” has little in common with the actual Synodontis polli. The dorsal fin spine of “White” is bicolor, black in the lower half, white in the upper half. This species is distributed in the hobby almost exclusively as […]

  • L501 Hypanacistrus sp. Mitu

    25. February 2022

    Snowball plecos belong to the largest Hypancistrus species. They can reach up to 20 cm in length. Members of the group are easily recognized by the conspicuous black fringes in the dorsal and caudal fins.  Distinguishing the aquaristically known form, on the other hand, is tricky and sometimes simply impossible without knowledge of the origin. […]

  • Pseudacanthicus sp. L185 Bred

    18. February 2022

    The cactus plecos (Pseudacanthicus) are popular with owners of large aquariums. L185 originates from the Rio Xingu and is also called Belo Monte Cactus Pleco, because this catfish used to be caught there. We do not know if the species still exists there, or if it was wiped out by the construction of the Belo […]

  • Tatia galaxias

    11. February 2022

    The cute Tatia catfishes are quite popular in the hobby. Keepers put up with the fact that you can hardly see them outside feeding times, because they are extremely addicted to hiding. But they make up for it with their pretty coloration and good breedability. Tatia galaxias comes from the Orinoco river basin in Colombia […]

  • Akysis prashadi

    4. February 2022

    The range of small, peaceful catfishes from Asia is much smaller than from South America, but they do exist. Moth catfishes (Hara, Erethistes) for low flow aquariums and wasp catfishes (Akysis) for tanks with more flow are becoming increasingly popular. Akysis get their name “wasp catfish” from the most famous species, Akysis vespa, whose sting […]

  • Nemadoras humeralis

    31. January 2022

    The thorny catfishes are a very interesting and diverse group of catfishes. We were able to import from Peru the species Nemadoras humeralis, which can reach a total length of about 15-20 cm. At first sight the fishes remind very much of the Hassar species, which they also resemble in behavior. They are peaceful schooling fish that move around a lot and appreciate some current in the aquarium.

    Nemadoras are omnivores that can be fed on all common aquarium fish foods, although the emphasis should clearly be on a meaty diet. Water composition plays a minor role in their care. You can maintain the animals in any tap water.

    The aquarium for Nemadoras should have plenty of free swimming space. Plants will not be damaged, but with very dense plant growth there is a risk that the fish will become entangled in the underwater plants. Nemadoras are ideal community fish for larger aquariums with tetras etc.

    For our customers: the fish have code 272484 on our stock list. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.

    Text & Photos: Frank Schäfer

  • Acestridium dichromum

    24. January 2022

    The strange sucking catfishes of the genus Acestridium – there are currently seven recognized species in the genus – could also be called “dwarf needle catfishes”, because they look like a miniature version of the needle catfishes of the genus Farlowella. Unfortunately, these animals are still an aquaristic challenge, which only very experienced aquarists should […]

  • The sturgeon catfishes of Paraguay: Sturisoma barbatum or S. robustum?

    14. January 2022

    From Paraguay wonderful, partly very large sturgeon catfishes (Sturisoma) are imported. Two Sturisoma species are known from the Rio Paraguay: S. barbatum, described already in 1853 by Kner, and S. robustum, described in 1904 by Regan. The two species differ from each other only insignificantly.  The most important anatomical feature distinguishing the two species is […]

  • Baryancistrus sp. Snowflake LDA 33 / L142

    7. January 2022

    This beautiful loricariid catfish comes from the Rio Tapajós in Brazil. Usually, 4-5 cm long youngsters are imported from these catfishes, which look very attractive with their large, white dots on a deep black ground and fully deserve the name “Snowball-Pleco”. In addition to high water temperatures (not below 28°C), these catfishes should be kept […]

  • The “real” Corydoras melini?

    31. December 2021

    One of the most important arguments for importing wild-caught fish for aquaristics is the gain in knowledge it allows. For the majority of small fish species this is only possible by observing living specimens. Without this there is no species knowledge, without species knowledge there is no species conservation. A wonderful example of the above […]

  • Corydoras geoffroy

    3. December 2021

    For a long time this fish, the type species of the genus Corydoras, was a mystery. Until today it is a top rarity among the armored catfishes. And so we are especially pleased to be able to offer offspring of this precious fish once again. The animals are still a bit inconspicuous, so we would […]

  • Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps

    29. November 2021

    The red highfin sucker is a classic, which found its lovers long before the invention of the L-numbers. Juveniles are really adorable and excellent algae killers. In addition they look very beautiful. Since this catfish easily grows to 30-40 cm in length, there are two camps among aquarists. Some are critical of the animal because […]

  • Corydoras undulatus Paraguay

    26. November 2021

    The beautiful Corydoras undulatus belongs to the relationship of C. elegans. Like most representatives of this group the species swims rather in free water than on the ground. Also typical for the group is that males and females differ clearly in color. In the case of C. undulatus the males become very dark with bright […]

  • Rineloricaria parva

    25. November 2021

    From Paraguay we regularly receive shipments of the small whiptail catfishes of the genus Rineloricaria. No less than 65 species are currently recognized, which makes identification in many cases almost impossible without knowledge of their origin. But in the case of Paraguay, there is a recent revision of the species known from this river system […]

  • Ancistrus Orange Brown “LDA16”

    22. November 2021

    This extremely attractive Ancistrus is a breeding form. The actual LDA 16 is a wild form imported in 1994 from Brazil (Rio Puraqequara, a tributary of the Rio Guamá, which in turn is a tributary of the Rio Tocantins) and is uniformly purple-brown in color. We do not know if the orange-blotched Ancistrus descended from […]

  • Hypostomus roseopunctatus L311

    19. November 2021

    Not less than 148 species are counted to the genus Hypostomus, but no five of them appear more often in the trade. Special is of course H. luteus with its sail-like dorsal fin and the bright yellow coloration, but most species are “plecos”, brown or gray with black spots. In addition, most species grow quite […]

  • Pseudacanthicus sp. L273 Titanic

    12. November 2021

    The magnificent cactus catfish L273 Titanic, up to 30 cm long, originates from the Rio Tapajós. Its first import in 1998 was a sensation. Interesting about the animals, which are allowed to be exported from Brazil again since some time, is the very individual body pattern. All cactus catfishes are carnivores; towards non-species fishes they […]

  • Zungaro zungaro

    10. November 2021

    The catfish Zungaro zungaro belongs to the largest catfish species of South America. There were all kinds of debates about its name, for a long time it sailed under Pseudopimelodus zungaro or Paulicea luetkeni. Because of its gigantic size (length up to 140 cm, weight up to 50 kg) the species is difficult to study […]

  • Cochliodon sp. L360

    5. November 2021

    We have received some beautifully marked yellowseam catfish. This catfish originates from the middle Rio Jamanxin in Brazil and has not yet been correctly (i.e. scientifically) identified, neither in terms of genus nor in terms of species. However, it is quite possible that this catfish has already been scientifically described; young animals are quite inconspicuous, […]

  • Scleromystax barbatus

    1. November 2021

    The changed legal situation in Brazil now makes the import of several species from the south of Brazil possible again, which for many years were only available as offspring, among them the magnificent Scleromystax barbatus (formerly Corydoras b.). We have been able to import a good number of wonderful, fully grown specimens. For more information […]

  • L350 Panaque sp. Black Lyretail

    25. October 2021

    From Peru we received four specimens of a top rarity: L350. This peculiar fish does not fit any genus of loricariid catfish known to date. It originates from deep, turbid, very fast flowing water of the Peruvian Amazon, where it can only be caught with great difficulty and rarely. It is a carnivorous species whose […]

  • Scleromystax barbatus

    22. October 2021

    The changed legal situation in Brazil now makes the import of several species from the south of Brazil possible again, which for many years were only available as offspring, among them the magnificent Scleromystax barbatus (formerly Corydoras b.). We have been able to import a good number of wonderful, fully grown specimens. For more information […]

  • Corydoras eversi (C65)

    15. October 2021

    The very nice Corydoras eversi lives in the Araguaia drainage (Brazil) and became known as C 65. It was only scientifically described in 2016. The scientific treatment of C. eversi is based on a collection by Hans-Georg Evers in 1998, who was also able to bring living animals with him. As mentioned, they were initially […]

  • Coryoras eques

    7. October 2021

    From the Brazilian state of Amazonas, more precisely from the surroundings of the city of Anori, we once again received a good number of a beautiful armored catfish, which is known to science for a long time, but rarely appears aquaristically: Corydoras eques.  This typical schooling Corydoras looks most attractive when kept in black water. […]

  • Spectracanthicus (= Oligancistrus) zuanoni L 354

    20. September 2021

    Spectracanthicus zuanoni L 354 originates from Rio Xingu and the Rio Iriri in Brazil. It has been described scientifically only in 2014 (see http://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/archiv.php?news_id=1195). The fish belongs to the same species as L 20, with however clearly larger white marks, so that the design reminds of a black net on a bright background. The reddish, […]

  • Pimelodus ornatus

    17. September 2021

    One of the most attractive large catfishes is Pimelodus ornatus, which is common in large parts of tropical South America. It is reported from the big rivers Amazonas, Orinoco and Parnaná, in addition the Guyana states. Maximum size reported is 38.5 cm (excluding caudal fin). The beautiful and lively fish is notorious for its venomous […]

  • Corydoras loxozonus and C. sp. aff. C16

    17. September 2021

    Corydoras loxozonus belongs to the beautiful armored catfishes, which we receive relatively regularly from Colombia. The species is quite variable in pattern and therefore has already received the C-numbers C79 and C83. There was never any “proof” that these C-numbers really belong to the species C. loxozonus; this was only concluded from the fact that […]

  • Kryptopterus vitreolus

    13. September 2021

    The common glass or ghost catfish, Kryptopterus vitreolus, has been swimming in numerous aquariums around the world for decades, albeit mostly under the misnomer K. bicirrhis (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/a_new_name_for_the_ghost_glass_catfish_kryptopterus_vitreolus_en for details). We have the animal practically always in the stock.

    One of the absolute routine measures in the everyday care of the fish is to examine it regularly in the beam of a strong flashlight for possible disease. In this context, one of our keepers, Martin Möller (who has a degree in biology), made the discovery that under certain light incidence, the glass catfish show a distinctly colorful iridescence. This is basically the same effect of light refraction that leads to the formation of rainbows. However, it is not easy to capture it photographically, because the interaction of light and movement of the fish must fit absolutely. After many unusable pictures, however, we finally succeeded in depicting the Möller effect. Fascinating, to say it with Mr. Spock!

    For our customers: the animals have code 422005 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

    Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

  • Curculionichthys sabaji

    1. September 2021

    A very long name for a very small fish! The genus Curculionichthys was established only in 2015 to accommodate dwarf sucker catfishes of the subfamily Hypoptopomatinae (formerly: Otothyrinae) of Loricariidae, which were previously placed in the genus Hisonotus. Both anatomical and molecular data showed that two independent evolutionary lineages existed within Hisonotus, namely that around […]

  • Ancistrini sp. L82

    30. August 2021

    Among the species threatened by the construction of the Bela Monte Dam is L82, a species of loricariid up to about 15 cm long, which cannot yet be assigned to any genus described scientifically to date; it is most similar to Scobinancistrus. Also on species level L82 is not yet worked on. The only certainty […]

  • Pseudacanthicus sp. L79

    27. August 2021

    This very flat Pseudacanthicus from the Rio Tocantins belongs to the rarest L-catfishes on the market. Even before the export ban by the Brazilian authority IBAMA, which was lifted only recently, the fish came to us only very sporadically. L79 certainly grows over 20 cm long, but exactly how big is unknown. Our animals are […]

  • Ageneiosus magoi

    20. August 2021

    Males of all dolphin catfishes (Ageneiosus) develop huge dorsal fin spines and a penis-like mating organ at spawning time, also strange tooth-like looking papillae on the posterior margin of the upper jaw. They use the dorsal fin spine to clamp females for mating, and fertilization occurs internally. After spawning, the dorsal fin spine is shed […]

  • Wertheimeria maculata

    20. August 2021

    Wertheimeria maculata belongs to the strangest thorny catfishes. You don’t see this on the relatively inconspicuous juveniles with their 6-8 cm length, but it is nevertheless so. The first thing that catches your attention is the really high price that is demanded for them. This is due to the fact that these fish are local […]

  • Corydoras schwartzi

    13. August 2021

    This well known, but still beautiful Corydoras originates from the Rio Purus system in Brazil. It was named in honor of the exporter Willy Schwartz. In Corydoras schwartzi, which belongs to the stocky, round-headed members of the genus, the dorsal fin is marked very slightly differently in each animal, the coloration of the spine ranges […]

  • Acanthicus sp. L155 Furo Maguari

    13. August 2021

    Acanthicus hystrix is one of the great myths in the literal sense. With a length of almost one meter it is one of the largest loricariid catfishes at all. In addition, the species, which was already described in 1829, is extremely prickly: “hystrix” means “porcupine”!  Unfortunately, the specimen on which the description of this species […]

  • Corydoras elegans C123

    30. July 2021

    The beautiful Corydoras elegans is widely distributed in the Amazon region and locally forms numerous color forms. Possibly all these variants are even independent species, but scientifically this has not been investigated yet. A color variant from the Rio Nanay in Peru stands out above all by yellow-orange tinted fins. Some males (they have higher […]

  • Ageneiosus inermis

    26. July 2021

    Already in 1766 this catfish was described by Linné. It is one of the most widespread species in South America. It has been reported from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Ecuador, Peru, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Uruguay, Colombia and Venezuela. In the course of the centuries many synonyms accumulated: 12 times this species was described under […]

  • Loricaria lata

    23. July 2021

    From the larger growing, mouthbrooding whiptail catfishes of the genus Loricaria only the very widespread L. simillima is in the trade from time to time, the others – after all there are 17 recognized plus several scientifically still undetermined species – are absolute top rarities. We have now received L. lata from Brazil. This species grows 20-25 cm long. It originates from the drainage of the Rio Tocantins. Like so many mouthbrooding loricariids this species is polychromatic, i.e. within one population there are quite differently marked animals. Our fish also show this polychromatism. Some are almost completely black, others rather bright with black bands and there are all conceivable intermediate stages; depending upon mood the animals also can change color.

    Among themselves our fish are peaceful. However, they are somewhat skittish and try to hide in the bottom when disturbed. A sandy bottom is therefore useful for the care, even if the fish then look in the close-up as if they had the white spot disease (Ichthyophtirius). We can reassure you: the animals are perfectly healthy.

    For our customers: the fish have code 266563 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

    Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

  • Coyrdoras paleatus wild

    16. July 2021

    Only very rarely we receive wild collected Corydoras paleatus. Imports of this species, which is widespread in southern South America, didn´t appear for more than 10 years, because many export stations in southern Brazil had to close down when some of the most important ornamental fishes of the region were forgotten on the Brazilian positive […]

  • LDA25 Parotocinclus jumbo

    12. July 2021

    The Pitbull Pleco (Parotocinclus jumbo, formerly Hypostominae gen. sp.) was one of the most popular small sucking catfishes until about 10 years ago. Then it was accidentally forgotten on the list of Brazilian ornamental fishes allowed for export. Since then, it has only been around in breeder circles. This species, very common in the wild, […]

  • Parotocinclus haroldoi

    9. July 2021

    Perhaps the prettiest and at the same time most suitable otocinclus for aquaristics is Parotocinclus haroldoi. Concerning the coloring – yellow-white, shining spots on black underground – the species resembles the adonis pleco (Acanthicus adonis), remains however with maximally 4 cm (male) and at all-highest 5 cm (female) much, much smaller. Until now this species, […]

  • Pterosturisoma microps

    25. June 2021

    This interesting, about 20-25 cm long sucking catfish from Peru should only be kept by really experienced aquarists. Beside some adult specimens we could import this time also 4-7 cm long juveniles. The size of these fish is difficult to state, because one should not count the tail fin filaments, which are much longer than […]

  • Aphanotorulus sp. L11

    18. June 2021

    The correct name of this beautiful catfish from the Rio Xingu is a matter of dispute among experts. In many parts of South America similar looking catfishes can be found, which are all close to the species already described in 1840 as Hypostomus emarginatus. These were assigned to the genus Squaliforma in 2001, and to […]

  • Pimelodina flavipinnis

    28. May 2021

    We are proud to present this unusual first import. The rarity of this pretty large catfish in the hobby stands in strong contrast to the fact that it was scientifically described as early as 1876, is widespread (our animal comes from the Rio Negro in Brazil, but it also exists in the Rio Madeira, in […]

  • Bagrichthys macracanthus

    7. May 2021

    We have received juveniles of the “Black Lancer” from Indonesia. The adult fish is pitch black with a white caudal fin and a narrow white horizontal stripe running along the middle of the body. The stripe begins below the dorsal fin and extends into the caudal peduncle. The 4-6 cm juveniles of this up to […]

  • Farlowella amazonum

    26. April 2021

    The needle catfishes (Farlowella) are one of the most species-rich genera within the whiptail catfish relationship with currently 30 recognized species. The species look very similar to each other. Distinguishing features are mainly the arrangement of the bony shields along the flanks and on the abdomen, which is naturally hard to recognize on the living […]

  • Lithodoras dorsalis

    21. April 2021

    The genus Lithodoras belongs to the thorny catfishes (Doradidae). There is only one species scientifically described, which has its distribution in South America: L. dorsalis, which inhabits the Amazon basin; in addition, the species was reported from a creek near Cayenne (French Guiana), but the latter occurrence still needs confirmation. The maximum length of L. […]

  • Glyptothorax cf. housei

    14. April 2021

    The belly sucker catfishes (Glyptothorax) are almost unknown in aquaristics. It is a very species-rich group (over 100 accepted plus probably still numerous undescribed species) of mostly small, current-loving catfishes. The extremely sparse care experiences with these catfishes show that they are (as with many stream fishes) sensitive animals, which tolerate neither stronger organic pollution […]

  • Rineloricaria heteroptera

    9. April 2021

    From Brazil we received beautiful whiptail catfishes, which we thought at first sight to be Rineloricaria lanceolata, a species with a very wide distribution. The high proportion of reddish animals was striking.  The majority of the fish are small, 3-4 cm long and marked like R. lanceolata, but there are a few adult specimens among […]

  • Corydoras cf. armatus “Spotted Putumayo“

    9. April 2021

    From Colombia we received a nice Corydoras species, which threw us into some confusion during identification. They were sent as C. armatus, a species described from the Rio Huallaga, a right-bank tributary of the Rio Maranon (the larger of the two headwaters of the Amazon) in Peru.  C. armatus is a conspicuously high-backed species with […]

  • Corydoras reynoldsi & Corydoras tukano

    29. March 2021

    Corydoras reynoldsi is a pretty cory catfish that has been described in 1960. It was collected in the Caquetà province, eastern Colombia. It remained unknown in the hobby quite long, as this area is far away from the usual collecting areas. In 1997 the cory enthusiasts became aware of another, quite similar species of Corydoras […]

  • Clarotes laticeps

    24. March 2021

    This is one of the large river catfishes of Africa. We were able to import some specimens once more from Nigeria. However, the species has a very far distribution and is found in the Nile, most parts of West Africa and also in the rivers that flow through the savannahs and riparian forests of East […]

  • Pseudorinelepis sp. L95

    22. March 2021

    Now it is again season for the unfortunately so rarely available Pseudorinelepis sp. L95 from the Rio Demini. And what beautiful animals we got! All specimens are 25-30 cm long. For more information please see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/pseudorinelepis-sp-l95-2/ For our customers: the animals have code 26480-L 095-7 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply only wholesale. […]

  • Sorubim lima

    19. March 2021

    The large-sized species of the spiny catfishes (Pimelodidae) belong as adult fishes to the desired food fishes and not less desired species for fans of predatory catfishes with giant aquariums. As juveniles, these animals often look completely different and have, for example, absurdly long fin processes. The Shovelnose catfishes of the genus Sorubim are with […]

  • Hypancistrus sp. “Nhamunda” L475

    15. March 2021

    The Hypancistrus catfishes with striped pattern are on the one hand a wonderful enrichment for the aquaristics, because they look beautiful, don’t grow too big and can be bred quite well, on the other hand they are constant cause for quarrel. Because in many cases it is hardly possible to determine them exactly. This is […]

  • Lasiancistrus heteracanthus

    10. March 2021

    We were able to import the rare Red-eyed Deltatail-suckercat, Lasiancistrus heteracanthus, in small numbers from Peru. The species attains a total length of 15-18 cm. Besides the bright red eye the most striking feature of the species is the pretty brown-red lower lappet of the caudal fin. Lasiancistrus, in general, are good algae-eaters and fit […]

  • Ancistrus macrophthalmus LDA74

    5. March 2021

    From time to time we receive a very flat-bodied Ancistrus from the Orinoco drainage in Colombia and Venezuela under the name of A. ranunculus/L 34. However, this species does not exist there, A. ranunculus is only known from the Amazon tributaries Xingu and Tocantins/Araguaia; the Orinoco species is Ancistrus macrophthalmus, which has received the LDA […]

  • Chaca bankanensis “Sumatra”

    3. March 2021

    This week we received a good number of the interesting frogmouth catfishes of the species Chaca bankanensis from Sumatra. In contrast to the rather reddish animals we could import earlier (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/chaca_bankanensis_en/), this time they are rather brown-black colored, probably an origin-related color characteristic.  Very interesting is that some animals have striking white colored eyes. At […]

  • Corydoras sp CW 98

    19. February 2021

    This beautiful Corydoras belongs to a scientifically undescribed species. It originates from the upper Rio Negro in Brazil. Because of the bright orange neck spot it is usually misidentified as Corydoras burgessi, which also comes from this region, especially as C. burgessi has a very variable pattern and there are also spotted colour variants of […]

  • Corydoras sp. aff. parallelus CW127

    12. February 2021

    Just as L-numbers are assigned for undetermined loricariids, C- and CW-numbers are assigned for undetermined Corydoras. One of the first species to receive such a number was Corydoras parallelus, which was assigned the number C2 in 1993. In the same year Burgess described it as C. parallelus.  The species originates from the upper Rio Negro […]

  • Leiarius marmoratus

    10. February 2021

    There are two species of catfish in South America that look like siblings: Leiarus marmoratus (called “Achara” by the natives) and Leiarius (formerly: Perrunichthys) perruno. Both species attain a length of about 60 cm, have the very same leopard pattern and the long, ringed whiskers. But there does exist an easily recognizable difference: Leiarius marmoratus […]

  • Tympanopleura cryptica

    5. February 2021

    For the first time we could (recognized) import this dolphin catfish from Peru. The small species (the biggest scientifically known animal had a standard-length – therefore without tail fin – of barely 8,5 cm) occurs in the area of the upper Amazon, where the river is still called Solimoes. Tympanopleura cryptica was described scientifically only […]

  • Pseudolithoxus kelsorum L189

    1. February 2021

    Unfortunately this interesting catfish from Venezuela is offered only very rarely. It lives in the tributaries of the middle Orinoco. With a maximum length of 10 cm (only very rarely some specimens reach this size, the normal size is 6-7 cm) the species remains relatively small. Pseudolithoxus species are all quite flat, but P. kelsorum […]

  • Corydoras elegans

    29. January 2021

    The armored catfishes of the closer relationship around Corydoras elegans belong to the most interesting species of this huge genus. They do not live as strongly bottom-bound as most other armored catfishes and are very nicely colored. Males and females differ relatively clearly in coloration. However, it is not easy to provide a color description […]

  • Microsynodontis batesii

    22. January 2021

    Squeakers or upside-down catfishes are a fish family occurring exclusively in Africa. The best known genus is Synodontis, which comprises over 130 species. Closely related to this genus is the genus Microsynodontis. The genus name means “small Synodontis” and is program, because these fish already become sexually mature with 3-4 cm of length, are thus […]

  • Tympanopleura cryptica

    13. January 2021

    For the first time we could (recognized) import this dolphin catfish from Peru. The small species (the biggest scientifically known animal had a standard-length – therefore without tail fin – of barely 8,5 cm) occurs in the area of the upper Amazon, where the river is still called Solimoes. Tympanopleura cryptica was described scientifically only […]

  • Lorcaria simillima Bred

    11. January 2021

    Loricaria simillima has a very wide distribution in South America. It is found in the Orinoco-, Amazon- and La Plata basins. A result of this large area many different color forms are known, which differ clearly regarding coloration and pattern. The species occurs in different water types. Black water forms are more demanding in maintenance […]

  • Chaetostoma joropo (L445)

    18. December 2020

    The dotted Chaetostoma joropo is already for many years a popular sucker-catfish. Before its scientific description in the year 2016 it was given several names, e.g. sp. Spotted, cf. milesi, Villavicencio I, L187a etc. It originates from creeks in the catchment area of the Rio Meta in Colombia and therefore does not need to be […]

  • Corydoras fowleri German bred

    9. December 2020

    Corydoras fowleri from Peru becomes 6-8 cm long and certainly belongs to the most beautiful Corydoras at all. Nevertheless, the species is only rarely bred, because the eggs are relatively small and the fish – despite their size – relatively unproductive. Therefore we are especially pleased to be able to offer wonderful German bred ones […]

  • Brachyrhamdia meesi

    4. December 2020

    The genus Brachyrhamdia includes only five described species, another one, that is still scientifically undescribed, was imported over 10 years ago as accidental catch, since then, one heard nothing more of it. Brachyrhamdia are relatively small-growing catfish. Brachyrhamdia meesi comes from Brazil and grows to about 8 cm in length. Like all species of the […]

  • Auchenipterichthys punctatus

    3. December 2020

    It was believed for quite a long time that the genus Auchipterichthys would contain only one or two, very far spread species. In 2005 Ferraris, Vari, and Raredon revised the genus and could show that in reality four different species are involved. The species that was thought so far to be the most common in […]

  • Corydoras habrosus

    30. November 2020

    Now it is season for the cute chessboard dwarf cory, Corydoras habrosus. The fish grows to a maximum of four centimeters. It is completely peaceful and leaves the plants in peace, so it is very suitable for community aquariums. The usual care-recommendations for Coryoras are valid, which means they should be kept in groups and […]

  • Aspidoras pauciradiatus

    25. November 2020

    This cute dwarf armored catfish reaches a maximum length of only 3 cm. Aspidoras pauciradiatus comes from the central Rio-Negro area and is an ideal community fish for characins, dwarf cichlids etc. Strangely enough, the specimens on which the scientific description is based were allegedly collected in the Rio Araguaia near the town of Aruana, […]

  • Parancistrus nudiventris, L31, LDA4, Peppermint Pleco

    13. November 2020

    This pleco from the Rio Xingu is an old friend, however, it received a scientific name only in 2005. It received the L-number 31 already in 1989.  The genus Parancistrus is closely related to the genus Spectracanthicus; the formerly often used genus Oligancistrus is invalid and declared synonymous with Spectracanthicus. The only difference between Parancistrus […]

  • Parotocinclus eppleyi

    6. November 2020

    One of the smallest loricariid species at all is Parotocinclus eppleyi, the Peppermint-Oto. The species is fully grown with a length of 3 cm (without caudal fin), but such animals can already be seen as xxl-format and are extremely rare. Usually the species, which is common in the upper and middle Orinoco, is 0.5-1 cm […]

  • Brochis splendens “Rio Negro

    6. November 2020

    Via Manaus we have been able to import splendid Brochis splendens. The Emerald Cat comes from a huge area, from Peru to the Pantanal in Brazil; based on the experience with other Corydoras it is more than likely that there are several species hiding behind the name “Brochis splendens”. But such things should be subject […]

  • Corydoras burgessi

    23. October 2020

    Now the season for the very beautiful and much beloved orange blotch corys has started. There does exist a good number of different species and varieties, all have in common a brightly shining spot on the neck. Depending on light this glows from yellow to almosr red. This glowing spot helps the fish in the […]

  • Corydoras sp. Souza, C124

    16. October 2020

    We received very nice, fully grown specimens of this only very rarely available species from Peru. This species of Corydoras is very variable in respect of the pattern. However, we think the darkest animals are the males. For our customers: the fish have code 225215 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the […]

  • Baryancistrus xanthellus L18, L81, L81n, L177

    14. October 2020

    About from the end of May to the end of September the season of the beautiful Golden Nuggets of the genus Baryancistrus lasts. Although the fish are considered to be extremely common in nature, are also found in shallow water and have been used as food fish since time immemorial, they were only scientifically described […]

  • Panaque cf. titan Shampupa L418

    28. September 2020

    The magnificent panaques of the nigrolineatus complex have long been sought-after aquarium fish. All species seem to grow around 40 cm long. One of the most spectacular species comes from Peru and was given the L-number 418. It is probably identical with the described species Panaque titan, but since this is not completely certain, the […]

  • Corydoras caudimaculatus Wild

    21. August 2020

    From the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, more precisely from the upper Rio Guaporé, comes the pretty Corydoras caudimaculatus, which reaches 5-6 cm in length. C. caudimaculatus is the most round-nosed and high-backed species of the “tail-spotted armored catfish”, which all have a similar pattern, but without being closely related to each other. The evolutionary […]

  • Megalechis thoracata

    19. August 2020

    The Port Hoplo Megalechis thoracata – maybe the synonym (now invalid) name Hoplosternum thoracatum is more familar to some readers – is one of the earliest aquarium fish at all. The fish has only one real disadvantage: the maximum size, which is about 15 cm (or sometimes even larger). However, the species has a comparatively […]

  • Hypancistrus sp. L500

    7. August 2020

    In northern tributaries of the Amazon, namely the Rio Nhamunda (L475), the Rio Padauari (L499) and the Rio Uatumá (L500), there are very similar Hypancistrus, which have a relatively stocky body in common. In colour they resemble very much the Hypancistrus furunculus (L199) from the upper Orinoco. All four Hypancistrus are extremely variable in colour, […]

  • Balroglanis schultzi (formerly Centromochlus s.)

    3. August 2020

    The driftwood catfishes enjoy an increasing popularity, since it succeeds regularly to reproduce them. All species have – as far as known – an internal fertilization, the females spawn later without the presence of a male. Most driftwood catfishes are active at night or twilight. Many species are known to hunt land insects that have […]

  • Corydoras aurofrenatus

    31. July 2020

    For the first time, we have this beautiful Corydoras, that was described already 1903 from Paraguay, as bred ones in stock. However, there is no possibility to distinguish the Corydoras aurofrenatus from C. ellisae, which was also described from Paraguay in 1940. Therefore both species were synonymised by Axenrot and Kullander in 2003, the name […]

  • Corydoras sp. “Peru”

    27. July 2020

    Sometimes it is coincidence that determines whether a fish species can establish itself in the hobby. In the case of this Corydoras sp. Peru, a Corydoras fan noticed the fish when visiting a wholesaler; they were so-called by-catches that had been sorted out. Unfortunately, the wholesaler could not remember exactly where the animals originally came […]

  • Ancistrus claro

    20. July 2020

    One of the smallest Ancistrus species is Ancistrus claro, which was known as LDA 8 before its scientific description. The catfish originates from clear water streams with a strong current in the upper part of the Rio Paraguay-Paraná river basin and becomes at most 6-8 cm long. The sexes are not quite as easy to […]

  • Synodontis nigriventris

    10. July 2020

    The most popular squeaker catfish (Synodontis) by far is the upside-down catfish (Synodontis nigriventris) from the Congo. It is not the only species of the genus that often (by no means always) swims on its back, but it remains small (under 10 cm) by squeaker catfish standards and is one of the most peaceful representatives […]

  • Pseudohemiodon laticeps

    10. July 2020

    Pseudohemiodon laticeps from Paraguay belongs to the longest known mouth-breeding Whiptail Catfish in the hobby, even if this large (up to 35 cm) species with its species-specific broad, triangular head was confused for a long time with the very similar, narrow-headed species P. platycephalus from Brazil. Mostly one sees both species in a fawn-brown colouring […]

  • Panaque schaeferi L203 L90c

    26. June 2020

    Among the largest loricariid catfish are some of the wood-eating Panaque species. Panaque schaeferi is one of them, the species will certainly grow to about 60 cm long. Since P. schaeferi was described on the basis of adult specimens, the assignment to the young animals belonging to it has never been scientifically confirmed. However, it […]

  • Corydoras sipaliwini

    24. June 2020

    There are three beautiful, very closely related, small (4-5 cm) armored catfish species on the Guyana Shield in South America, which look so similar to each other that they have already been seen as synonymous with each other in the past: Corydoras bondi, C. coppenamensis and C. sipaliwini. However, most lovers of Corydoras share the […]

  • Panaqolus sp. L2

    5. June 2020

    The tiger pleco was already imported and presented in 1988; since then, unfortunately, no scientist has yet taken a closer look on the beautiful animals imported from Rio Tocantins in Brazil for the hobby; therefore, this relatively small, maximum 12 cm long, peaceful loricariid catfish still has no “correct” name, but has to be content […]

  • Synodontis decorus

    3. June 2020

    One of the most beautiful squeaker catfish (Synodontis) comes from the Congo: Synodontis decorus. The slender species grows about 20-30 cm long and is relatively peaceful. One must always consider that all squeaker catfish have a hierarchy among each other, where “social biting” is absolutely necessary and not alarming, since it only comes to superficial, […]

  • Leptodoras cf. cataniai “Rio Nanay“

    15. May 2020

    We receive only very rarely imports of one of the unusual and stress-prone Leptodoras species. These thorny catfish are extraordinarily elongated and apparently live in flowing waters, while many other thorny catfish – think of the Platydoras, Agamyxis etc. which are common in the hobby – are more at home in dead wood or leaves […]

  • Sturisomatichthys leightoni

    13. May 2020

    Until recently, two genera of closely related whiptail catfish were distinguished according to anatomical features: the relatively short-nosed Sturisomatichthys with four described species and the relatively long-nosed Sturisoma with over 15 species. All species are popular aquarium fish because they are attractive and easy to breed. Unlike most other loricariid catfish they do not breed […]

  • Corydoras cf. imitator C140 Red Spot

    8. May 2020

    Again and again we receive imports of Corydoras from the upper Rio Negro area, which differ in details from the well known Corydoras adolfoi, C. duplicareus, C. imitator, C. serratus & Co. It is difficult to classify them in such cases. Are these only colour variations that occur in large numbers somewhere? Are they geographically […]

  • Malapterurus beninensis – Electric catfish

    29. April 2020

    For a long time it was believed that there were only two species of electric catfish, namely the widespread Malapterurus electricus and the Congolese M. microstoma. Then two independent revisions of the genus appeared practically at the same time, one by Roberts (2000) and one by Norris (2002), which drastically increased the number of species, […]