Spotted dwarf giraffe cat

Care at a glance

Overview

The spotted dwarf giraffe cat is a small, night-active catfish for the bottom of a dim, gently flowing tank. It is a step up from the easiest catfish.

Caring for the spotted dwarf giraffe cat

The spotted dwarf giraffe cat needs a tank of at least 53 gal (200 L). Give it a soft sand base to guard its barbels, with driftwood, dried leaves and shaded caves for security. Subdued lighting and gentle, clean, steady flow keep it out and feeding.

Hold the water at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C), with a slightly acidic to neutral pH of 6.2 to 7.5. It hides by day and patrols the bottom after dark, nosing through leaf litter and sand for food. It is an unhurried, deliberate feeder. Offer sinking meaty foods in the evening, such as frozen bloodworm, chopped earthworm and sinking pellets, and make sure enough reaches the floor.

The spotted dwarf giraffe cat is mostly peaceful and easygoing with fish too large to swallow. It can be territorial with its own kind, so it is happiest as a single specimen. Keep it alongside calm tank mates that are not small enough to become prey. It has no aquarium breeding record and reaches keepers as an occasional wild-caught import.

Good to know

Parauchenoglanis monkei is a claroteid catfish and one of the smaller members of the African giraffe-catfish group. Its bronze body is scattered with dark spots rather than the bold patchwork of its larger relatives. It is sometimes sold as Monke's giraffe catfish.

In the wild

The spotted dwarf giraffe cat comes from the coastal rivers of Cameroon and Gabon, in west-central Africa. It lives in slow, tannin-shaded streams over soft, leaf-strewn beds and forages along the bottom in dim light.

Common questions

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