Spotted raphael catfish
Agamyxis pectinifrons
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
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Rare
- Origin
- South America
- Family
- Doradidae
Overview
The spotted raphael catfish is a peaceful, armored bottom-dweller that 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. By day it wedges into tight cover, and it forages at night, hoovering up sinking foods, so feed after dark with pellets, frozen bloodworms, and the odd algae wafer. Handle it with care, as its stiff spines can snag a net. Give it a soft sand bed with caves and driftwood, and a tank around 150 liters or larger.
In the wild
Agamyxis pectinifrons lives in the Amazon basin, recorded from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, where it shelters among wood and leaf litter in warm, slow, softly acidic water. Keep it at 22 to 26 degrees C with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Provide a soft sand or fine substrate, plenty of driftwood and rocky caves for daytime hiding, and subdued lighting. Gentle to moderate flow and clean, stable water keep this nocturnal scavenger content.
Good to know
A thorny catfish in the family Doradidae, Agamyxis pectinifrons grows to about 15 centimeters and is armored with a row of bony, spined plates along each flank. It can produce audible sounds by locking and grinding its pectoral spines against the shoulder girdle, a talking-catfish trait, and amplifies them with the swim bladder. It is an omnivorous scavenger. Home breeding is not documented.
Did you know
Spotted raphael catfish are called talking catfish because they can grunt and creak loud enough to hear across a room, a sound made by grinding the pectoral fin spines and resonating it with the swim bladder, usually when they are handled.
Where to buy
Some links may not be the exact species or variety.
- Aquatic Arts Freshwater fish, shrimp and snails with an arrive-alive guarantee
- Dan's Fish Freshwater fish, shrimp and snails with a live arrival guarantee
…or ask your local fish store.
Appears in
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Related species
Talking catfish
Acanthodoras spinosissimus5.9 in (15 cm)26 gal (100 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Striped raphael catfish
Platydoras armatulus8.7 in (22 cm)45 gal (170 L)75–86°F (24–30°C)Giant raphael catfish
Megalodoras uranoscopus23.6 in (60 cm)264 gal (1,000 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Ripsaw catfish
Oxydoras niger39.4 in (100 cm)396 gal (1,500 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Spotted hoplo
Megalechis thoracata5.9 in (15 cm)40 gal (150 L)64–82°F (18–28°C)
Siamese algae eater
Crossocheilus oblongus6.3 in (16 cm)37 gal (140 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)