Trachelyopterus galeatus

28. May 2009

Already in 1766 this species was described under the name Silurus galeatus by the founder of the zoological nomenclature, Carl von Linné. It is extremely widespread in South America. Today this fish is classified in the family Auchenipteridae, and within this family in the subfamily Auchenipterinae. The species in Auchenipterinae share a very special feature: the males have the first rays of the anal fin modified as a sexual organ.

Currently, we have wonderful and large (12-15 cm) specimens from Guyana in stock. The sexual differences can easily be spotted and so there is a good opportunity for breeders to try themselves on this extraordinary species. Details of the breeding behaviour are still unknown. It is believed that they have an internal fertilization. The only thing known for sure is that they spawn at night times exclusively.

A common name for Trachelyopterus galeatus is „Driftwood Catfish“. Is is a nocturnal species. The fish should be kept in large tanks with lots of hiding places. Tnakmates should not be too small (minimum half length of the catfish), otherwise they could be mistaken for food. The water parameters are neglegtable in this species, temperature should be between 22°C and 28°C. They can be fed with any usual fishfood, but one should keep in mind that it necessary to feed them in the afternoon.

For our customers: the fish have code 297555 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply to the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Angaben zum Tier
Herkunft Guyana
Verfügbare Größe in cm 12-15