This South American catfish is considered a suckermouth catfish and is in the family Loricariidae. It is found in flowing water near Honda, Columbia. I was lucky to obtain a pair of this rarely seen fish from a friend and fellow hobbyist. The adults are easily sexed with the males being larger (near 5in) and the sides of the male's snout having bristles while the female is slightly smaller with no bristles on her snout.

Care
This animal seems to do well in either soft or slightly hard water with a wide pH range. They are currently kept in a 15 gallon tank with a sponge filter. I usually change water twice weekly with 80/20 ratio of RO to tap water. This catfish is a herbivore and so is offered algae wafers, blanched zucchini and their favorite, TabiMin^tm. The water temperature is kept near 80°F. and the pH is slightly acidic.

Breeding
Spawning is near when the pair spends time in close proximity. The female deposits her eggs on the side wall of the aquarium closest to the sponge filter (usually 30-50 eggs) possibly for the current effect.

The male is also busy at this time fertilizing the eggs but his job is just beginning. The male assumes the job of guarding the eggs and fanning them to keep them clear of fungus and this may take up to 4-5 days before the eggs hatch. The eggs progress from a slightly dark color to pitch black just before the fry emerge and they are close to 1/4 inch at this point.

Fry Care -- a potential problem
My pair of catfish were spawning frequently but I was having little success raising the fry to a larger size. At that point, I was feeding baby brine shrimp ever other day and APR in between feedings of baby brine shrimp. After loosing fry for 4-5 spawns, I started feeding TabiMin^tm twice daily and before long the fry started developing much more rapidly. I think the problem was underfeeding of the fry. The main problem with heavy feedings is the build up of mulm on the aquarium floor and thus the need for twice weekly water changes. If this method of feeding doesn't appeal to you, try the feeding procedure as outlined in previous articles in MAS Aqua News by Paul Overn and Paul Turley. Along with the TabiMin^tm I also feed live baby brine shrimp and micro worms every other day.

In conclusion, this twig looking catfish is not a difficult fish to keep, but raising the fry can be challenging. The male assumes the role of sole caregiver once the eggs are laid while the female relaxes and fattens up after her job is completed. My wife points this fact out each time she passes the tank, I can hear her yell out "You go girl." The male of this species must really pay for his few minutes of rapture.