Tag Archives: catfish

A white Corydoras sp. C124

15. August 2019

We get the rare long nosed Corydoras sp. C124 occasionally under the names C. cortesi (that is another species from Colombia) or Corydoras “Huangana” (so one calls the wild pigs of the species white-lipped peccary) from Peru. C124 has a very variably pattern, each individual can be recognized by his special pattern. But this time the shipment contained something very special: an almost completely white specimen! It is not an albino; in the close-up you can see that black pigment cells (melanophores) are present, furthermore the pupil is black. It is simply a whim of nature. The whiting recognizes normally colored C124 as conspecifics and seeks their company, especially if he is worried. 

For our customers: the animals have code 225215 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesalers.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Corydoras knaacki

12. July 2019

Corydoras knaacki originates from the Madre de Dios region in Peru and belongs to a group of “classical” Corydoras, which is very close to the type species of the currently not as valid recognized genus Hoplisoma Swainson, 1838 – Corydoras punctatus (Bloch, 1794). In the hobby, the two species C. julii and C. trilineatus are best known from this group, which are offered very frequently and in different colour variants (or are these also species?) in the ornamental fish trade.i C. knaacki can easily be distinguished from all described species of the Hoplisoma group by the massive longitudinal line in the middle of the body, which begins approximately at the rear edge of the dorsal fin and ends at the caudal fin, in combination with the species-specific dorsal fin pattern, in which the first fin ray and the membrane are dark pigmented to the spine and the remaining fin rays are spotted, as well as the significantly black-and-white banded caudal fin. 

Before the scientific description of the species in honour of Joachim Knaack, this cory was called Corydoras sp. “Morse” or Corydoras sp. CW 32.

From the Madre de Dios come at least two further nearly identical looking, scientifically still undescribed species. Corydoras sp. C120 (see Datz 12/2003), CW 62 and CW 109 are described by Peruvian exporters as Corydoras sp. “Manu4” and differ from C. knaacki approximately in the way in which different populations currently assigned to C. trilineatus differ from each other. Another, practically identically colored species is Corydras sp. “Manu2 Semi Longnose”, which to our knowledge does not yet have a C or CW number and has a longer muzzle (a longer mesethmoid).

For our customers: the species has code 232853 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Panaqolus sp. L351

12. December 2018

From Peru comes a Panaqolus, that is charcterized particularly through the small eye and the long tail fin filaments.  

With L351 they got their own code number. Unfortunately L351 is imported only very rarely, because most photos of this species show a darkly colored, unattractive fish. In reality, the animal is very nicely colored after a certain acclimatization! L351 belongs to the genus Panaqolus and becomes only about 15-20 cm long, according to the opinion of several catfish specialists. A large part of the food of these fish is wood, which may never be missing in the aquarium. Because wood eating causes a lot of excrement and thus a lot of dirt (wood is extremely low in nutrients, even if intestinal bacteria make the wood digestible for Panaqolus, the fish have to eat a lot in order to cover their energy requirements), a large filter system must be installed.

For our customers: the fish have code 26480-L 351-3 on our stocklist. Please note that we excvlusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Clarias gariepinus

3. September 2018

The airbreathing catfishes of the genus Clarias are among the most important food fishes that are bred in aqua culture in the tropics. They are absolutely undemanding in respect of water quality and the fact that they readily accept any food as long as it contains enough protein makes them ideal candidates for aqua culture. They are fast growing and can survive for hours outside the water due to their breathing organ. So they can be offered alive on the foodmarkets, where other fish often rotten quite fast due to the heat. Mainly the species Clarias gariepinus is bred that way all over the world where the temperatures allow this. Initially this catfish originates from Africa. The species can effect huge ecological problems where it escapes.

Clarias gariepinus is not an aquarium fish in the usual sense. It is rather dull coloured and becomes too large for that. But it is an intelligent fish, a real personality that can be trained for example on whistles. Many breeders of ornamental fish keep a Clarias to have an opportunity to use deformed bred fishes as feeder fish and so to fulfill the animal wellfare laws.

For our customers: C. gariepinus has code 114854 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Corydoras fowleri Variant

17. August 2018

Corydoras fowleri is a very rare and very beautiful species of Corydoras. The species originates from Peru. It is well known for its high degree of variability in respect of coloration. Our latest import contained specimens that looked very different from their conspecifics. They have a strong golden-bronze coloration of the neck and an overall metallic shine. We simply don´t know wether these fish represent a new variety or if they only show a phenomenon that can be fund quite often among Corydoras: freshly collected specimens of many species show much stronger colours than fish that live already for some time in the aquarium. The reason for that is most probably the fact that the fish in nature often live in very turbid water. When they are put in the clear aquarium water they change in a kind of camouflage-mode.

We have separated four of the aberrant specimens and will report on what has become of them at a given time.

For our customers: Corydoras fowleri has code 229804 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Available in small numbers only!

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Corydoras sp. aff. sychri Longnose C53

18. June 2018

From the Rio Nanay in Peru originates a species-flock of very similar looking corys. They are distinguished externally basically by the shape of the head and the snout. All of them are very beautiful and suited very well for the aquarium. All have an impressive dark mask over the eye and clear fins. The body is spotted, the number of spots and the density differs individually a lot.

Two species of the flock are described scientifically already, namely Corydoras atropersonatus, which has a short, round snout and C. sychri with a long, pointed snout. Most probably the fish that has the code C97 is a variety of C. sychri. An additional species is the saddle-nosed C53, which represents obviously a still scientifically undescribed species.

This saddle-nosed fish (C53) is by far the rarest of the flock in the trade. We currently have very nice specimens of this rarity in stock.

For our customers: the fish have code 240744 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Micracanthicus vandragti L280

20. April 2018

One could think that this unusual suckermouth catfish – it originates from the Rio Ventuari in Venezuela – represents the juvenile form of a Leporacanthicus, for example L240 or L241. But in fact L280 is a dwarf species that hardly ever becomes bigger than 5 cm. Until now only single specimens appeared in the trade, but our current importation contained a good number of fish; so we hope that a breeder will be able now to breed this charming species and that an aquarium population of Micracanthicus vandragti can be established. There are more than a thousand species of suckermouth catfish, but this one seems to be the best suited one for owners of small and medium sized tanks due to the small size in combination with the attractive coloration.

For our customers: the fish have code 26480-L 280-1 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Corydoras amapaensis

6. April 2018

The beautiful long snouted Corydoras amapaensis is a top rarity in the ornamental fish trade. Only very occisonally, every 5-6 years, some specimens can be imported. So we are very glad that we can offer now for the first time some bred ones. The fish are currently about 4 cm long and have just reached sexual maturity. The males can be recognized by the spiny pectoral fin spines.

For our customers: the fish have code 221762 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Available in very limited numbers only!

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Wallagonia micropogon

7. February 2018

This is a fish like an evening in a swamp: dark and spooky. Wallagonia micropogon is a predator, anyone can see. The validity of the species W. micropogon is the subject of controversial discussion, many scientists believe that it is a synonym of Wallagonia leerii. Our specimens originate from Thailand. Currently they are small, only 7-9 cm long, and easy to handle, but  one fine day they will be 1.5 m long and will weigh over 80 kg.

Wallagonia is very similar to the European Wels (Silurus glanis), but Wallagonia swims more often in the open water. Against conspecifics they are quarrelsome.

For our customers: the fish have code 475703 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Gymnallabes typus

9. October 2017

We obtain a very strange catfish on a regular basis from Nigeria: Gymnallabes typus. Sadly the fish has been given the name Channalabes apus in the hobby; this is a different species from the Congo. The catfish has an eel-like body, becomes 20-30 cm long, has an impressive mustache and tiny little eyes. In the natural habitat this species lives in wet leaves. The biotope often looks like anything but a water. Here Gymnallabes apus lives and he is perfectly adopted to that habitat. The catfish belongs to the very few species of fish that are able to leave the water and make prey on land. Moreove this fish is not beathing by gills alone but has an aditional beathing organ that allows the fish to breath atmospheric air.

In the wild, this fish feeds mainly on insects, but in the aquarium it feeds literally anything that fits the mouth and is meaty, even very small fish. But all in all this catfish can be characterized as a very peaceful animal. The only „must have“ of the fish are dark hiding places. In all other respects Gymnallabes typus is absolutely undemanding in aquaria.

For our customers: the fish have code 111501 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer