Spotted raphael catfish
Agamyxis pectinifrons
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–79°F
- 22–26°C
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 5.9 in
- 15 cm
- Minimum tank
- 40 gal
- 150 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Doradidae
- Origin
- South America
Overview
The spotted raphael catfish is a peaceful, armored bottom dweller for a community tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish.
Did you know
Spotted raphael catfish are called talking catfish because they can grunt and creak loud enough to hear across a room. They usually do it when they are handled.
Caring for the spotted raphael catfish
The spotted raphael catfish wedges into tight cover by day, so add plenty of driftwood and rocky caves. Give it a tank of at least 40 gal (150 L) with a soft sand or fine substrate. Keep the lighting subdued.
Hold the temperature at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and the pH at 6.0 to 7.5. Gentle to moderate flow and clean, stable water keep it content.
It is an omnivorous scavenger that forages at night, hoovering up sinking foods. Feed it after dark with pellets, frozen bloodworms and the odd algae wafer.
The spotted raphael catfish is peaceful and mixes well with a wide range of community fish too large to swallow. It is sociable and can be kept singly or in a group, and it often shares a favorite cave with others. Handle it with care, as its stiff spines can snag a net. Home breeding is not documented.
Good to know
This thorny catfish of the family Doradidae is armored with a row of bony, spined plates along each flank. It makes its sounds by locking and grinding its pectoral spines against the shoulder girdle, and it amplifies them with the swim bladder.
In the wild
Agamyxis pectinifrons lives in the Amazon basin, recorded from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru. It shelters among wood and leaf litter in warm, slow, softly acidic water.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The spotted raphael catfish 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.
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
FreshwaterBrackish2.4 in (6 cm) · 10 gal (38 L)64–82°F (18–28°C)
Blue acara
Andinoacara pulcher
Freshwater5.9 in (15 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Yoyo loach
Botia almorhae
Freshwater6.3 in (16 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)66–81°F (19–27°C)Red-tail bitterling
Acheilognathus tonkinensis
Freshwater4.7 in (12 cm) · 40 gal (150 L)61–79°F (16–26°C)
Forest halfbeak
Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus
Freshwater3.5 in (9 cm) · 34 gal (130 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Royal whiptail catfish
Sturisoma panamense
Freshwater7.9 in (20 cm) · 40 gal (150 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a spotted raphael catfish need?
A spotted raphael catfish needs at least 40 gal (150 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a spotted raphael catfish need?
A spotted raphael catfish is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.
What does a spotted raphael catfish eat?
A spotted raphael catfish is an omnivorous scavenger. Feed it after dark with pellets, frozen bloodworms and the odd algae wafer.
How big does a spotted raphael catfish get?
An adult spotted raphael catfish reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).
Related species
5.9 in (15 cm)40 gal (150 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Orinoco spotted raphael
Agamyxis albomaculatus
5.9 in (15 cm) · 40 gal (150 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)70 gal (265 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Gallagher's catfish
Rhinodoras gallagheri
5.9 in (15 cm) · 70 gal (265 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Hancock's talking catfish
Platydoras hancockii
5.9 in (15 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)26 gal (100 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Talking catfish
Acanthodoras spinosissimus
5.9 in (15 cm) · 26 gal (100 L)
6.3 in (16 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Green turushuki catfish
Hemidoras morrisi
6.3 in (16 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
6.7 in (17 cm)79 gal (300 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Fog talking catfish
Rhinodoras boehlkei
6.7 in (17 cm) · 79 gal (300 L)