Ommation whiptail

Rhadinoloricaria ommation

Also known as Apistoloricaria ommation, Eyespot whiptail

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 5.7 in (14.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 40 gal (150 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Putumayo and upper Amazon drainages, Colombia and Peru
Family: Loricariidae

Overview

Keep this slender, sand-colored whiptail on its own or in a quiet pair; it is a peaceful, retiring fish that spends its time resting on the bottom. It settles on fine sand near cover, well camouflaged, and sifts the surface for biofilm and small foods, so feed sinking wafers, pellets, and frozen items and make sure they reach the floor. House it with small, calm tankmates that will not crowd it. Give it a tank of at least 150 liters with a soft sand bed, gentle flow, and shaded hiding places.

In the wild

It lives in the Putumayo and other upper Amazon drainages of Colombia and Peru, quiet rivers with soft sand and gentle current. Recreate that with a fine sand floor, driftwood, leaf litter, and slow, clean flow. Keep the water warm at about 23 to 28 C with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, soft and slightly acidic to neutral. Subtle lighting suits its cryptic coloring.

Good to know

Rhadinoloricaria ommation is a slender loricariid whiptail that reaches about 14.5 centimeters. It was first described in the genus Apistoloricaria, which is still seen as an alternate name. Its own breeding has not been recorded, though whiptails of this group are typically paternal lip-brooders. The name ommation means little eye.