Tag Archives: thorny catfish

Centrodoras brachiatus

19. June 2019

In two large specimens (they are currently 20-25 cm long) we have received the extremely rarely imported Centrodoras brachiatus from Peru. The up to 40 cm long catfish are widely distributed in the Amazon system and also occur in Brazil and Colombia.

Typical is the form of the lateral bone row, whose shields are very big directly under the dorsal fin and then quickly become much smaller towards the tail.

Although the species was described scientifically as early as 1872 and has a large distribution area, practically nothing is known about its wild life. The large tooth cushion in the lower jaw indicates that the animals may graze on growth.

What is striking about our specimens is that they often “hold their breath”. After strong breathing movements they stop breathing again and again for a longer time (at least you don’t see anything of it). This is a behaviour that we have not yet observed in fish! 

For our customers: the animals have code 214616 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesalers.

Rhynchodoras woodsi

9. June 2017

Only very rarely members of the enigmatic genus Rhynchodoras (family Doradidae) appear in the ornamental fish trade. It is believed that these fish live in the very riverbed where collectors of ornamental fishes usually do not fish at all. All species of Rhynchodoras have a strange appendix on the jaw that looks like a share; the function of this structure is unknown.

Three species are currently recognized in the genus, none of them is reported from Peru so far; our fish are from Peru. It is nevertheless very likely that our specimens belong to  Rhynchodoras woodsi, a species described in 1976 from the Rio Pastaza basin in Ecuador. It is reported so far (despite Ecuador) from the Amazon basin in Brazil (not in the rivers Xingu and Tocantins) and Guyana. Maximum length reported is 10.5 cm, our fish are currently 3-4 cm long.

For our customers: the fish have code 287511 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Available in small numbers only!

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer