Spiny catfish - Acanthodoras cataphractus

Food and feeding
This fish is a nocturnal feeder; offer them some food after lights are out to make sure that they get their share of the meals. They will accept quality flake and catfish pellets along with a selection of live or frozen foods. Blood worms and brine shrimp are ideal.

Origin
South America; they are to be found in the tributaries of the Amazon River.

Sexing
Females will be larger than the males with a plumper body shape.

Breeding
There are mixed reports of these breeding in the aquarium. Mature pairs have been seen digging a pit in the substrate and depositing their eggs. Both parents guarded the nest until hatching but there are no reports of fry surviving past this stage.

Lifespan
The expected life span for this fish is 5-8 years.

Short description
Ensure that these fish are kept in a large aquarium. They are very shy and require a lot of hiding places along with some plants. Daytime activity is very rare as they will hide away until the darker hours.

Pictures
Bought by aqua-fish.net from jjphoto.dk.