Honeycomb tatia

Duringlanis altae

Also known as Honeycomb driftwood catfish

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 1.6 in (4 cm)
Minimum tank: 14 gal (54 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Upper Amazon, Colombia and Peru
Family: Auchenipteridae

Overview

The honeycomb tatia is a small, patterned woodcat that spends daylight jammed into wood cracks and owns the first hour after lights-out. It is social and settles best in a small group with plenty of driftwood and narrow crevices to share. It is peaceful but easily outcompeted, so keep it with small, gentle tankmates and nothing pushy at feeding time. Feed after dark, when it emerges to hunt near the surface for small invertebrates; sinking and frozen foods such as bloodworm and daphnia work well. A well-planted, wood-filled tank of around 54 liters or more suits a group.

In the wild

Duringlanis altae comes from the upper Amazon in Colombia and Peru, living among sunken wood in soft, warm, tea-stained streams. Fill the tank with driftwood, branches, and tangles that offer tight cracks to hide in, and shade the lighting. Keep the water soft and slightly acidic at 23–28 C and around pH 6.0–7.5 with gentle flow, and a scatter of leaf litter suits it well.

Good to know

Duringlanis altae is a dwarf driftwood catfish, family Auchenipteridae, of about 4 centimeters, patterned in cream and brown like honeycomb. It was long placed in Centromochlus before being moved to its current genus. Like all woodcats it fertilizes internally through a modified anal fin, though spawning it in the aquarium is not on record.

Did you know

A whole group will pack into one crevice by day, noses pointed out, their honeycomb markings lined up so the crack looks less like a hiding place full of fish than a patterned piece of the wood itself.