Marañón Whiptail

Geographic Origin and Biotope: Rio Marañón basin in the Upper Amazon River (Peru, Pugán Province). Lives in mountain and pre-Andean watercourses, hiding among gravel formations and fallen branches in a highly flowing riverbed.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Spatuloricaria puganensis. Also called "Giant Whiptail". Same enormous mouth typical of the genus, useful for sweeping the ground, combined with an extraordinarily aerodynamic profile to cut through strong water flows.

Social Behavior: Very quiet, moves clumsily with short bursts to reposition itself. Appreciates the company of its conspecifics, gathering under the coolest currents provided by the filter outlet.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Sand / amber tones with gray nuances. Males undergoing sexual maturation undergo an incredible transformation: they develop a real "beard" of thick spines on the sides of the head, absent in females.

Aquarium Setup: 120-150 cm (48-60 inches) long-oriented aquarium. Needs large portions of sanded bottom or rounded river cobblestones to camouflage in. No need for cramped caves, but rather wide refuges formed by sloping wood.

Diet and Feeding: More inclined to carnivorism than a plant diet. Nocturnal hunter of earthworms, bloodworms, and small benthic crustaceans. Absolutely provide rapid-sinking tablets rich in astaxanthin or fish.

Water Quality: Requires clean and slightly cool water parameters for Amazonian standards (do not exceed 26°C / 79°F). The oxygenation rate and a generous water turnover are the pillars of its survival.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Spatuloricaria is completely peaceful towards mid-tank fish (e.g. Moenkhausia, Columbian Tetras). If kept with large dominant Loricariids (Plecostomus), it will be irremediably confined to blind corners until it wastes away.

Aquarium Reproduction: The male guards the ovarian plaque by resting on it, constantly fanning the large huevos (eggs). As soon as they hatch, the microscopic "whiptail fish" disperse, immediately requiring cultures of microworms or nauplii.

Risks and Diseases: Barbels and filamentous fins are easily amputated if the fish tries to escape by getting stuck in porous and abrasive rocks (e.g. Lava rock, strictly forbidden).