Loach catfish

Aspidoras rochai

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 70–77°F (21–25°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 1.7 in (4.4 cm)
Minimum tank: 15 gal (55 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Very rare
Origin: Brazil
Family: Callichthyidae

Overview

This little Aspidoras is shy and needs the security of a group, so keep at least six together. It stays busy on the bottom, combing fine sand with its barbels, and wants peaceful, small tankmates that will not out compete it. Offer finely sinking foods such as micro pellets, crushed wafers, and small frozen items like daphnia and cyclops, making sure they reach the floor. A quiet, well planted tank of around 55 liters or larger suits a group.

In the wild

Aspidoras rochai lives in shallow coastal streams of Ceara in northeastern Brazil, over sand and among leaf litter. Recreate that with a soft sand substrate, driftwood, dried leaves, and shaded planting, using clean, gently moving water. Keep the temperature between 21 and 25 C and the pH from about 6.0 to 7.5, with regular water changes to keep this sensitive fish comfortable.

Good to know

A small armored catfish of the family Callichthyidae, this species reaches about 4.4 cm and belongs to Aspidoras. It was described in 1907 and is the type species of the genus, whose members carry two skull fontanels rather than the single one found in Corydoras. Captive spawning is essentially unrecorded, though Aspidoras lay adhesive eggs the female carries briefly between her pelvic fins.

Did you know

Aspidoras rochai is the fish on which the whole genus Aspidoras was founded back in 1907. Its species name honors Francisco Dias da Rocha, who supplied the original specimen from the Brazilian state of Ceara.