Zamora catfish

Auchenipterichthys thoracatus

Also known as Thoracatus woodcat

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 5.5 in (14 cm)
Minimum tank: 53 gal (200 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Upper Madeira basin, Bolivia and Brazil
Family: Auchenipteridae

Overview

The Zamora catfish is a sociable nocturnal woodcat that packs into wood cavities by day, often several sharing one hollow, and fans out to feed after dark. It is social, so keep a small group with plenty of driftwood, bamboo tubes, or rocky caves to shelter in. It is peaceful but will eat very small fish and shrimp, so keep tankmates modest but not tiny. Feed in the evening with sinking pellets, frozen foods, and the occasional worm; it is not a fussy eater. A tank of around 200 liters or more with dim light and generous cover suits a group.

In the wild

Auchenipterichthys thoracatus comes from the upper Madeira basin in Bolivia and Brazil, spending the day crammed into wood cavities and the night foraging in open water. Give it a mature, dimly lit tank with soft sand and layered driftwood full of shady hollows. Keep the water soft and warm at 23–28 C and around pH 6.0–7.5 with gentle flow, and let botanicals tint it if you like.

Good to know

Auchenipterichthys thoracatus is a driftwood catfish, family Auchenipteridae, reaching around 14 centimeters, dark gray-blue with a scatter of pale spots. It fertilizes internally during a brief spawning embrace, the male using a modified anal fin, and the female can store sperm and spawn afterward. Aquarium breeding is rarely reported. The trade name Zamora is used loosely across this genus.

Did you know

Like other woodcats it breeds by internal fertilization, so a female can leave the spawning log already carrying viable eggs and lay them days later, a strategy closer to a livebearer's timing than to most egg-scattering catfish.