Spotted raphael catfish
Agamyxis pectinifrons
An unmistakable armored catfish: stocky dark body dotted with white spots, with serrated pectoral spines that lock erect as a defense mechanism. Strictly nocturnal, it spends the day motionless in its shelters only to come alive in the dark with surprising liveliness. It produces audible sounds by stridulating its pectoral spines — earning it the nickname "talking catfish." Long-lived, it can exceed 10 years in captivity. Never use nets to catch it: the spines snag dangerously.
Temperatura da água
22 - 26 °C
Valor de pH
6 - 7.5
Tipo de água
Água doce
Nível do tanque
Parte inferior
Tamanho adulto
15 cm
Volume mínimo do tanque
>= 150 L
Grupo mínimo
>= 1
GH
4 - 15 dGH
KH
2 - 7 dKH
TDS
80 - 295 ppm
Condutividade
125 - 461 uS/cm
Descrição da espécie
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Widespread in the Amazon River basin (Peru, Colombia, Brazil). Lives in calm waters and swamps, camouflaging itself by day among the dense forests of intricate roots or sneaking into rocky crevices sheltered from the light.
Taxonomy and Morphology: Known as the Spotted Raphael Catfish. Belongs to the Doradidae family (Thorny/Talking catfishes). "Barrel" shaped body, hyper-armored and equipped with thick sharp lateral scutes. Reaches 15 cm (6 inches) in the aquarium.
Social Behavior: Peaceful, inert and lazy night owl. Literally spends 95% of the day wedged in the dark. Enters full activity only when lights are out, scouring the bottom. If annoyed, it emits "croaking" or squeaking noises by rubbing the bone joints of the fins.
Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: The livery is a real starry night sky: the black or intense chocolate brown background is richly studded with hundreds of yellow/white spots all over the body. Females are noticeably more swollen and wider than males when viewed from above.
Cuidado, criação e companheiros de tanque
Aquarium Setup: A 100 cm (40 inch) tank is sufficient given its zero movement. STRICTLY prepare PVC pipes, overturned terracotta pots or masses of hollow woods in which the animal will fit tightly (it loves physical contact with the walls of the hiding place). Soft sandy bottom.
Diet and Feeding: Easy and unexacting omnivorous detritivore. Will come out at night to clean the bottom of decaying scraps. Greedily accepts sinking tablets (wafers), pellets, frozen or freeze-dried tubifex, and blanched peas. Possesses a huge stomach and is prone to obesity.
Water Quality: Tolerant of a wide spectrum of conditions (pH 6.0-7.5, temperature 22-26°C / 72-79°F, GH 4-15), it proves to be one of the longest-lived and indestructible catfish in aquariums, easily exceeding 10-15 years of life in captivity if not excessively polluted.
Compatibility and Cohabitation: Totally harmless towards mid and top water tankmates. Can happily cohabit in quiet Amazon tanks or with large Cichlids that will ignore its impregnable armor. However, being an opportunistic nocturnal predator, it licks fry off the bottom and could gobble up sleeping neocaridina and micro-rasboras.
Aquarium Breeding: Not spontaneously documented in home aquariums; commercial production for the Asian ornamental market takes place almost exclusively via hormonal induction in huge outdoor earthen ponds.
Risks and Diseases: The spiny armor is a lethal magnet for aquarium nets: NEVER catch it with the green net (it will inevitably get tangled, breaking its fins), but use plastic cups. Hypersensitive to copper.
Origem e distribuição geográfica
Widespread in the Amazon River basin (Peru, Colombia, Brazil). Lives in calm waters and swamps, camouflaging itself by day among the dense forests of intricate roots or sneaking into rocky crevices sheltered from the light.
Origem
Oceanos tropicais e recifesAmazônia, Orinoco e Guianas
Perfil de peixe
- Temperamento
- Semi-aggressive
- This catfish is highly peaceful and non-aggressive, making it an excellent addition to many community setups. They are nocturnal and secretive, meaning they will spend the day hidden and only become active after the lights go out. While peaceful towards tankmates of appropriate size, they are opportunistic feeders and might swallow very tiny fry or micro-fish. They do not show territorial aggression towards other bottom-dwellers, provided there are enough hiding spots for everyone.
- Dieta
- Omnivore
- Agamyxis pectinifrons is an omnivore with a strong preference for protein-rich foods. In the wild, they consume insects, larvae, and organic detritus from the riverbed. In captivity, they eagerly accept sinking pellets, tablet foods, and frozen options like bloodworms, brine shrimp, and tubifex. It is important to ensure that food actually reaches the bottom of the tank, as faster-swimming surface dwellers may consume everything before the catfish emerge.
- Expectativa de vida
- 10-20 years
- Tamanho adulto
- 15 cm
- Proporção sexual
- Group
- There is no strict sex ratio required for Agamyxis pectinifrons as they are not aggressive toward their own kind. They are highly gregarious fish and are much more active and less stressed when kept in groups of five or more specimens. If kept alone, they tend to remain permanently hidden and may fail to thrive. Therefore, stocking them as a social group rather than focusing on male-to-female ratios is the best practice.
- Frequência de alimentação
- Once daily
- Since they are nocturnal, it is best to feed these catfish once a day, shortly after the aquarium lights are turned off for the evening. Feeding them during the day is rarely successful, as they will remain hidden and the food may rot or be eaten by others. Offering food at night aligns with their natural foraging behavior and ensures they get adequate nutrition. A consistent daily feeding schedule helps maintain their health and prevents overfeeding.
- Carga biológica
- Medium
- The Spotted Raphael Catfish has a medium biological footprint due to its size of up to fifteen centimeters and its group-living habits. While they are relatively sedentary, a group of these catfish will produce a notable amount of waste that requires efficient filtration. A canister filter or high-quality power filter combined with weekly water changes is recommended to keep the substrate clean. Proper maintenance of the gravel or sand is crucial, as they spend their time on the bottom where organic debris accumulates.
- Fluxo
- Moderate
- This species prefers slow to moderate water flow, reflecting their natural slow-moving river habitats in the Amazon basin. Heavy or turbulent currents should be avoided, as they can cause stress and make it difficult for these heavy-bodied fish to navigate. A gentle current that circulates oxygen and distributes heat throughout the tank is ideal. Hiding places shielded from direct water flow will provide them with comfortable resting areas.
- Risco de salto
- No
- Reprodução
- Oviparous
- Breeding the Spotted Raphael Catfish in a home aquarium is exceptionally difficult and rarely achieved by hobbyists. In nature, they are egg-scatterers that spawn during the rainy season, laying adhesive eggs among dense vegetation or roots. Most specimens available in the trade are either wild-caught or bred commercially using hormone injections. Successfully triggering spawning in captivity without hormones requires precise manipulation of water parameters and environmental cues that are difficult to replicate.
- Compatibilidade e companheiros de tanque
- Peaceful
- They are highly compatible with a wide variety of medium to large, peaceful community fish. Ideal tankmates include larger tetras, barbs, cichlids, gouramis, and other peaceful catfish of similar size. Extremely small fish, such as newborn fry or tiny shrimp, should be avoided as they may be eaten during the night. They can also be kept with their own species in groups, which actually encourages more natural and visible behavior.
- Nível do tanque
- Bottom
- This species is strictly a bottom-dwelling fish that spends almost all daylight hours hiding in caves, PVC pipes, or dense root structures near the substrate. During the night, they may venture slightly into the lower-middle zones of the water column to search for food, especially if driftwood reaches upward. However, their primary swimming and resting activities remain close to the bottom of the aquarium. Providing a soft sandy substrate is essential to protect their sensory barbels while they forage at this level.
Modelos e parâmetros científicos
FishBase
Acesso aos dados científicos oficiais da espécie
FishBase v25.04Dados sincronizados em: 15/06/2026
- Nível trófico
- 2,3 ± 0,1 se
- Resiliência
- Alta (menos de 15 meses)
- Unicidade filogenética (PD50)
- 0.75
- Relação bayesiana comprimento-peso
- a = 0.01122, b = 3.04
- VulnerabilidadeVulnerabilidade baixa (10 / 100)
Galeria de imagens
Imagens licenciadas vinculadas à espécie ou, quando marcadas, ao táxon representativo mais próximo.
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