Catfishes in general often look quite odd. This is for sure true for this dwarf catfish, which was described only in 1994 in a new genus. The maximum length of this fish is about 6-7 cm without the caudal fin. The shape of the body is very elongate. The extremely long pectoral fin rays are most obvious when looked on from top. And then there are the strange eyes, placed very high in the head, and with slit-shaped pupils.
The generic name “Mastiglanis” means “Whip-Catfish” due to the long first finrays of dorsal and pectoral fins. The late discovery and the fact that the currently imported fish represent (almost) the first ones in our facility may lead to the impression that the species is rare in the wild. But this is not true. In fact, the species has an enormous range in the Amazon river, and we even obtained a single specimen as an accidental bycatch with other fish from the Orinoco in Colombia in 2006.
We have specimens in our importation that have a more dark colour and others which are lighter. But both fish are rather sand-colored. This, and the fact that the eyes are placed so high in the head made us think that the fish possibly live burrowed in fine sand. But despite the harassment the fish had to face during their stay in the photo-tank they made not attempt to burry themselves in the sand.
Against each other these catfish are very peaceful. So now catfish enthusiasts with scientific curiosity can satisfy their needs and find out details on the life history of this new “Whip-Dwarf-Catfish”.
For our customers: the fish have code 266752 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
| Angaben zum Tier | |
|---|---|
| Herkunft | Brasilien / Brazil |
| Verfügbare Größe in cm | 5-6 |
