Freshwater
Trachelyopterus galeatus
Auchenipteridae, Auchenipterinae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 30 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 648 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
Native
Lives wild in Argentina, Brazil, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago.
More about the species
Description
Occurs in swamps. Well-adapted to hypoxic environments, being able to survive for hours, emerged. Adults feed on small fishes, arthropods, worms and sometimes on fruits. The spiny structure of the pectoral fins enables the male to hold the females during mating (internal fertilization). Sperm can be kept in the female's genital tract for several months, owing to a gelatinous emission from the seminal vesicle of the male. At maturity, the size of the adhesive eggs (20% of the female's weight) is 3 mm. Nine days after hatching, alevin size is 1.5 cm and they feed on microscopic worms or small insects. At around 11 days, their negative phototropism pushes them to hide themselves under branches or rocks. Its pink flesh is highly appreciated by the local population.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Auchenipterus maculosus
- Parauchenipterus galeatus
- Parauchenipterus paseae
- Pseudauchenipterus galeatus
- Silurus galeatus
- Trachycorystes galeatus
In other languages
- Ruostenahkamonni
Articles
All articles
How to set up a South American aquarium4 min read
Soft, acidic water, subdued light, sand, roots and fallen leaves: how to set up a biotope aquarium from the Amazon and the rivers around it.
How to set up a Central American aquarium5 min read
Hard, alkaline water, sand and rock: an aquarium from the rivers and lakes of Mexico and Central America, with cichlids and livebearers.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.