Kissing prochilodus

Semaprochilodus insignis

Also known as flagtail Prochilodus

FreshwaterFish

Kissing prochilodus (Semaprochilodus insignis) — (c) Matthew Inabinett, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–84°F (23–29°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 13.8 in (35 cm)
Minimum tank: 135 gal (510 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Very rare
Origin: South America
Family: Prochilodontidae

Overview

These are schooling fish and get nervous and nippy when kept alone or in too small a group, so keep several. They graze the bottom and surfaces for algae, detritus, and biofilm, so feed a plant-heavy diet of spirulina, algae wafers, and blanched vegetables. They are mostly peaceful but active and can be pushy at feeding time. Big robust tankmates suit them better than small delicate ones.

In the wild

Kissing prochilodus live in the blackwater and whitewater rivers of the Amazon Basin, over sand and mud in river channels and seasonal floodplain lakes. They are built for open, flowing water, not a planted nano tank. Give them a large tank with a sandy bottom, strong current, and plenty of length to swim. With adults reaching 35 cm, around 510 liters is a sensible starting point.

Good to know

Semaprochilodus insignis is in the family Prochilodontidae, the flannelmouth characins. Adults grow to about 35 cm. They have a distinctive sucker-like, fleshy mouth built for rasping. The species is widespread and currently considered Least Concern, though it is affected by habitat change and pollution.

Did you know

In the wild this fish makes long spawning runs upriver during the rainy season, traveling in huge numbers. Those migrations move nutrients between the flooded forest and the main river, which makes the species important to the whole river system, not just a tank curiosity.