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Velvet sole

Brachirus villosus

Also known as Synaptura villosa, Papuan velvet sole

FreshwaterBrackishFish

Velvet sole (Brachirus villosus)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
6.8–7.8
Adult size
4.1 in
10.5 cm
Minimum tank
30 gal
112 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Soleidae
Origin
Rivers of New Guinea

Overview

The velvet sole is a small, peaceful flatfish that needs a calm, sandy tank. It is a difficult fish, best left to experienced keepers.

Did you know

The velvet sole is a sole that never went to sea. Almost all of its relatives are marine flatfish, but it spends its whole life in fresh river water. It hunts the riverbed as if it were the ocean floor.

Caring for the velvet sole

Give the velvet sole a sand-bottomed tank of at least 30 gal (112 L). It lies flat on the bottom, so lay a soft bed of fine sand it can rest and bury in. Coarse gravel can damage its underside. Keep the tank calm, with gentle flow and clean, well-oxygenated water.

Keep the water at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) with a pH of 6.8 to 7.8. It handles fresh and slightly brackish water, so a little salt is optional.

The velvet sole hunts by scent at night, so target-feed it after dark. Offer frozen and live foods such as bloodworm and mysis, placing food near it until it learns the routine.

Keep one velvet sole on its own, and choose its companions with caution. A sole is easily starved at feeding time, so avoid pushy tank mates. Pick slow, peaceful fish that are too large to be eaten and too gentle to outcompete it.

Good to know

Brachirus villosus is a member of Soleidae, the true soles, and it is still sold under the old name Synaptura villosa. It is a genuine flatfish, with both eyes on one side of its body. Its velvety, textured skin gives it its name. Like other flatfish, it starts life symmetrical, and one eye migrates across the head as it flattens onto the bottom.

In the wild

The velvet sole lives in the rivers of New Guinea. It keeps to soft, muddy and sandy bottoms in turbid main channels and quiet backwaters.

Common questions

What size tank does a velvet sole need?

A velvet sole needs at least 30 gal (112 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a velvet sole need?

A velvet sole is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 6.8–7.8.

What does a velvet sole eat?

A velvet sole eats frozen and live foods such as bloodworm and mysis. Target-feed it after dark, since it hunts by scent at night.

How big does a velvet sole get?

An adult velvet sole reaches about 4.1 in (10.5 cm).

Related species