Imitator catfish

Brachyrhamdia imitator

Also known as Corydoras-mimic catfish

FreshwaterFish

Imitator catfish (Brachyrhamdia imitator) — 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: 2.2 in (5.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 30 gal (112 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Upper Negro and Orinoco drainages
Family: Heptapteridae

Overview

The imitator catfish is a small, peaceful, sociable catfish that naturally travels inside shoals of Corydoras, which it closely resembles. Keep it in a group of its own kind, and ideally alongside a shoal of the corys it mimics, since it is far more relaxed in company than alone. It works the bottom, sifting sand and picking at small foods, so give it a soft sand floor and gentle tankmates. Feed sinking pellets, crushed wafers, and small frozen foods such as bloodworm and daphnia, making sure enough reaches the substrate. A group suits a tank of around 112 liters or more.

In the wild

The imitator catfish lives in blackwater creeks and flooded forest of the upper Negro and Orinoco drainages, moving among armored Corydoras in soft, tannin-stained water. Recreate that with a sand floor, driftwood, leaf litter, and dim light. Keep the water soft and warm, from about 23 to 28 C, with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5. A quiet, well-shaded tank brings out its natural shoaling behavior.

Good to know

Brachyrhamdia imitator is a naked, or scaleless, catfish in the family Heptapteridae, reaching only about 5.5 centimeters. It is a documented mimic of the armored catfish Corydoras melanistius, matching its colors and pattern closely enough to shoal alongside it. Traveling with a defended, spiny host is thought to give this soft-bodied catfish protection. It has not been bred in captivity on record.

Did you know

This scaleless catfish disguises itself as the armored Corydoras melanistius and swims right inside its shoals. The corys carry sharp defensive spines, so the mimic likely gains cover by blending in with a fish that predators learn to leave alone.