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Elongate moth catfish

Hara horai

Also known as Erethistes horai, Hora's moth cat

FreshwaterFish

Elongate moth catfish (Hara horai)

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Erethistidae
Origin
Ganges foothill streams

Overview

The elongate moth catfish is a stretched, cryptic bottom dweller with the freeze-first habit of its kin. It spends the day tucked into litter and wood. It is a moderate challenge to keep.

Did you know

The elongate moth catfish carries a specialist's name. Hara horai honors Sunder Lal Hora, the ichthyologist who worked out how torrent-dwelling fishes grip stone in fast water. His namesake moth cat prefers to simply hold still.

Caring for the elongate moth catfish

The elongate moth catfish needs a quiet, mature tank of at least 14 gal (54 L). Use a soft sand bottom with drifts of leaves, roots, driftwood and smooth stones for cover. Keep the flow steady but calm and the lighting dim.

Aim for soft to medium water close to neutral, at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) and pH 6.0 to 7.5. It is night-active and takes fine sinking foods after dark, such as frozen bloodworm, daphnia, baby brine shrimp and sinking pellets. Make sure enough drifts down to the floor.

The elongate moth catfish is peaceful and settles best in a small group. Keep it with calm, similarly sized fish that will not compete hard for food, or in a species tank. Its breeding is not recorded in aquariums, and like other Hara it is a peaceful oddity, kept for its unusual shape rather than bred.

Good to know

Hara horai is a moth catfish in the family Erethistidae. Its notably slender, drawn-out body sets it apart from the stubbier moth cats. Its other names include Hora's moth cat and Erethistes horai.

In the wild

The elongate moth catfish keeps to litter beds and stony runs in clear foothill streams below the eastern Himalayas, in northeast India. The current there is gentle and well oxygenated.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The elongate moth catfish is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an elongate moth catfish need?

An elongate moth catfish needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an elongate moth catfish need?

An elongate moth catfish is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does an elongate moth catfish eat?

An elongate moth catfish takes fine sinking foods after dark, such as frozen bloodworm, daphnia, baby brine shrimp and sinking pellets.

How big does an elongate moth catfish get?

An adult elongate moth catfish reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

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