Gallagher's catfish

Rhinodoras gallagheri

Also known as Gallagher's doradid

FreshwaterFish

Gallagher's catfish (Rhinodoras gallagheri) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 5.9 in (15 cm)
Minimum tank: 70 gal (265 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Orinoco basin, Venezuela
Family: Doradidae

Overview

A rarely imported doradid that behaves like its relatives: peaceful, nocturnal, and happiest with a snug retreat to spend the day in. It is gregarious enough to keep alone or alongside a few of its own kind, and it poses no threat to calm tankmates too large to be eaten. Give it driftwood and shaded caves, a soft floor to forage over, and sinking foods offered in the evening, from catfish pellets to frozen bloodworm and chopped prawn. A tank of around 265 liters suits this 15 cm fish and its slow, deliberate night patrols.

In the wild

Rhinodoras gallagheri is known from the Orinoco basin in Venezuela, where doradids of this kind shelter among sunken branches and leaf packs in slow to moderate stretches of river. Aquarium conditions should echo that: a soft substrate, generous driftwood cover, subdued lighting, and clean, gently moving water. Hold the temperature between 23 and 28 C and the chemistry soft to neutral at about pH 6-7.5, with steady maintenance to keep nitrogenous waste low.

Good to know

This thorny catfish belongs to Doradidae and reaches roughly 15 cm. It was described only in 2008, one of the more recently named members of the genus Rhinodoras, and like all doradids it bears armored flank scutes and can grate out sounds with its pectoral spines. It was told apart from close relatives by fine details of its fins and snout. No aquarium breeding has been documented.

Did you know

The fish is named for Frank Gallagher, who spent 37 years running the mailroom at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia; it was described from two specimens that had sat in the museum's jars since 1989.