TankBud

Ninja tatia

Centromochlus musaicus

Also known as Tatia musaica, Ninja woodcat, Mosaic tatia

FreshwaterFish

Ninja tatia (Centromochlus musaicus)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
21 gal
80 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Auchenipteridae
Origin
Upper Orinoco and Atabapo drainages

Overview

The ninja tatia is a small, boldly marked woodcat for a peaceful community. It suits a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

The ninja tatia's blocky black-and-white pattern is a form of disruptive camouflage. Against dappled, shadow-broken wood, the hard-edged mosaic breaks up the fish's outline. The eye reads patches of light and dark rather than a whole animal.

Caring for the ninja tatia

Keep ninja tatias in a group of five or six or more, in a tank of at least 21 gal (80 L). Use fine sand with generous driftwood, plenty of crevices and shaded lighting. Botanicals or leaf litter help hold a blackwater feel.

Give them soft water at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, with gentle flow. They hide in wood by day and dart out after dark, so feed in the evening. Offer small meaty foods such as bloodworm and daphnia, along with sinking catfish tablets.

A settled group brings the ninja tatia out and lets it show natural schooling behavior. It is peaceful and safe with tank mates too large to swallow, but small fish and shrimp are fair game. Pick companions of a similar size. Like other woodcats, it fertilizes internally through a modified anal fin, and aquarium breeding is not on record.

Good to know

The ninja tatia, Centromochlus musaicus, is a driftwood catfish of the family Auchenipteridae and is widely sold as Tatia musaica. Its common and species names both come from its mosaic of black and white blocks.

In the wild

The ninja tatia comes from blackwater reaches of the upper Orinoco and Atabapo. It shelters in submerged wood there, in soft, acidic, tannin-dark water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The ninja tatia is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a ninja tatia need?

A ninja tatia needs at least 21 gal (80 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a ninja tatia need?

A ninja tatia is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a ninja tatia eat?

A ninja tatia eats small meaty foods such as bloodworm and daphnia, along with sinking catfish tablets. Feed it in the evening.

How big does a ninja tatia get?

An adult ninja tatia reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

How does a ninja tatia breed?

A ninja tatia fertilizes internally through a modified anal fin, like other woodcats. Breeding it in an aquarium is not on record.

Related species