1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Peaceful; a nocturnal scavenger.
492 species in our list are a good match.
Peaceful; a nocturnal scavenger.
Sinking pellets, frozen foods and chopped shrimp or fish; feed at dusk.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Males are brighter (blue or violet sheen) with a longer, thicker, orange-edged pectoral spine, and their belly turns orange when breeding; females are larger and duller olive.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Bubble nester · Moderate
The male builds a bubble nest of saliva-coated bubbles under a large leaf or floating plants and guards the eggs.
Rarely bred in home tanks; large farms use hormone-induced spawning.
A large tank with caves, soft flow and stable parameters.
Seasonal water changes; commercial breeders use hormones.
Up to about 120 eggs, hatching in 4-6 days.
Fry take infusoria then brine shrimp nauplii; they grow quickly if fed well.
A tough, widespread South American armoured catfish that breathes air through its gut and can even move overland when pools dry; suits larger community tanks with fish that are not too small.
Carl Linnaeus described this catfish in 1758 in the famous 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is one of the most widespread armoured catfishes in South America. It breathes air and can wriggle across land between pools.
First described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
16 facts checked with sources
Valid name, Callichthys callichthys (Linnaeus, 1758). Wikipedia (citing Lehmann & Reis 2004, Copeia) says it likely represents a species complex; ScotCat lists four Callichthys species (C. callichthys, C. fabricioi, C. oibaensis, C. serralabium).
FishBase: Callichthys callichthys summary · Wikipedia: Callichthys callichthysLegacy has no family; value is new.
FishBase: Callichthys callichthys summaryFishBase gives 21 cm TL (total length). No Seriously Fish profile exists; ScotCat gives 18 cm. Larger well-sourced figure used.
FishBase: Callichthys callichthys summary · ScotCat: Callichthys callichthys · Wikipedia: Callichthys callichthysLegacy 20-28 lies within FishBase 18-28 °C.
FishBase: Callichthys callichthys summary · ScotCat: Callichthys callichthysLegacy 6-8 matches ScotCat and lies within FishBase.
FishBase: Callichthys callichthys summary · ScotCat: Callichthys callichthysLegacy has no hardness; value is new. Very tolerant.
FishBase: Callichthys callichthys summarySources give only a 120 cm tank length. 120 x 30 x 30 cm (assumed depth and height) = 108,000 cm³ = 108 L. Legacy 200 L is more generous and fine for a group.
FishBase: Callichthys callichthys summary · ScotCat: Callichthys callichthysLegacy 1. FishBase recommends 5+; ScotCat implies it can also be kept in smaller numbers.
FishBase: Callichthys callichthys summary · ScotCat: Callichthys callichthysFine with most fish, but adults eat fish at night (FishBase), so avoid very small tankmates. May dig and uproot plants (ScotCat).
ScotCat: Callichthys callichthysDemersal = bottom-living.
FishBase: Callichthys callichthys summaryLegacy 1 (easy). Judgement based on its wide tolerance (pH 5.8-8.3, 0-30 dH, 18-28 °C) and ability to breathe air.
ScotCat: Callichthys callichthysLegacy has no nativeRange; value is new.
FishBase: Callichthys callichthys summary · Wikipedia: Callichthys callichthysLegacy "Usually slimmer / rounder" is generic; Wikipedia here summarises FishBase/Burgess.
Wikipedia: Callichthys callichthys · FishBase: Callichthys callichthys summaryLegacy "Male builds a bubble nest of foam and guards eggs" agrees.
FishBase: Callichthys callichthys summaryLegacy "Hundreds of eggs placed on the substrate or in caves" is wrong: up to 120 eggs, in a bubble nest.
FishBase: Callichthys callichthys summaryLegacy story agrees in substance.
FishBase: Callichthys callichthys summary