The Doradidae family contains around 90 species in about 35 genera. Thus they represent only a minority among the huge number of catfishes existing in South America. But all dordadid catfishes are really bizzarre and desirable creatures for catfish enthusiasts.
There are dordaid catfishes that reach around one metre in length, but for Opsodoras stuebelii only 10-15 cm total length are reported. Our specimens originate from Paraguay and were determined using the standard aquarium literature; however, there is some indication that our fish in truth represent a species completely new to science (the „real“ Opsodoras stuebelii has a much longer snout). Among the insiders of the „catfish scene“ our fish is thatfore also known as „Doradidae sp. 2“.
Many doradid catfish are nocturnal and hide during daytimes. This is not true for O. stuebelii, which is pretty active during daytimes. Against congeneers O. stuebelii are totally peaceful, and although they cannot be termed schooling fish they like to stand together in groups.
Regarding food and water parameters O. stuebelii are totally unpretending and represent a hardy beginner´s species. One should only keep in mind that they originate from subtropical areas and should not be kept year-in year-out too warm.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
| Angaben zum Tier | |
|---|---|
| Herkunft | Paraguay |
| Verfügbare Größe in cm | 5-7 |
