There
are two species of catfish in South America that look like siblings:
Leiarus marmoratus (called “Achara” by the natives) and Leiarius
(formerly: Perrunichthys) perruno. Both species attain a length of about
60 cm, have the very same leopard pattern and the long, ringed
whiskers. But there does exist an easily recognizable difference:
Leiarius marmoratus has 10-11 rays in the dorsal fin, L. perruno only 8.
The fish usually have the dorsal fin erected. So it is pretty easy to
count the finrays on a sharp photo.
Due
to the attractive pattern and the peaceful nature of the fish (any
tankmate that does not fit as food will be ignored), acharas are much
sought for by enthusiasts that love big fish. However, they are only
rarely available on the ornamental fish market. Currently we have a
number of very charming youngsters from Peru in stock, which are 4-6 cm
long.
For
our customers: the fish have code 265201 on our stocklist. Please note
that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Available in limited
numbers only!
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
