Unfortunately this interesting catfish from Venezuela is offered only very rarely. It lives in the tributaries of the middle Orinoco. With a maximum length of 10 cm (only very rarely some specimens reach this size, the normal size is 6-7 cm) the species remains relatively small. Pseudolithoxus species are all quite flat, but P. kelsorum especially. Besides the flat shape and appealing pattern, L189 has another characteristic that makes it particularly suitable for the aquarium: it is also very active during the day and by far not as addicted to hiding as many other L-catfish.
We have not yet heard of successful breeding of this species, but this is surely only due to the rare imports. The sex differences are well pronounced at 5-6 cm length, the males can be recognized by the strong bristling (see photos).
The flat body structure indicates that this species is adapted to stronger water currents. They are typical Aufwuchs feeders, which should be offered temperatures in the range of 26-30°C, whereby one must pay attention to good oxygen saturation.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
