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CATFISH
ASPREDINIDAE FAMILY
The Aspredinidae or Banjo Catfish family is distributed throughout tropical South America and consists of over 35 species. Banjo Catfish are nocturnal, often peaceful species that can be combined in a community tank with similar-sized fish.
Banjo Catfish
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Dysichthys coracoideus
SYN
:
Bunocephalusbicolor, B. coracoideus
PD
:A flattened fish having a rounded head and a body decreasing in width after the pectoral fins. There is a pair of barbels extending from the upper jaw. The small caudal is fan-shaped. The front part of the body is brown, and the rear part of the body is dark brown. The coloration and shape of this species make it resemble a dead, decaying leaf.
SIZE
: To 6" (15 cm)
SS
: Other
Dysichthys
species
H
: Inhabits areas of leaf liter in still and slow-moving waters in South America; Amazon River.
A
: bottom
TANK
: A 30" (76 cm) or 20-30 gallon (76-114 L) tank is suggested. Shallow tanks are preferred. The substrate should be dark peat, sand, or fine gravel. The tank can be planted with well-rooted plants.
WATER
: pH 5.5-8 (7.0), 2-20 dH (10), 68-84°F (20-29°F)
SB
: This peaceful, nocturnal species can be kept in a community tank not having small,slender fish, as these may be consumed. Remains mostly inactive during the daytime.
SB
: Angelfish, Severum,
Apistogramma , Geophagus, Gymnogeophagus, Leporinus.
FOOD
: Live;
Tubifex
, insect larvae, crustaceans; tablets; flake
SC
: Unknown, although females are plumper when carrying eggs.
B
: Spawning is initiated with the lowering of the water level and a reduction in water temperature to 68-72°F (20-22°C). This species spawns in pairs or in groups. Each female lays up to 3000 eggs on rocks and the substrate. The parents guard the young until they hatch. The parents should then be removed and the young can be fed Rotifers and tablets. Later, the fry can be given white worms and
Tubifex.
BP
: 9. Breeding is unusual and difficult.
R
: This species is the most commonly available of its family.
DC
: 5. This quiet species is suggested for the community tank having medium sized fish.
Species Index
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Recent news
Governments, public failing to save world's species
(11/04/2009)
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) 2008 report, released yesterday, 36 percent of the total species evaluated by the organization are threatened with extinction. If one adds the species classified as Near Threatened, the percentage jumps to 44 percent—nearly half.
Atlantic bluefin tuna should be banned internationally: ICCAT scientists
(10/29/2009)
Scientists with the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) have said in a new report that a global ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna fishing is justified. ICCAT meets in November to decide if they will follow their scientist's recommendations.
The Yangtze River may have lost another inhabitant: the Chinese paddlefish
(10/22/2009)
In December of 2006 it was announced that the Yangtze River dolphin, commonly known as the baiji, had succumbed to extinction. The dolphin had survived on earth for 20 million years, but the species couldn't survive the combined onslaught of pollution, habitat loss, boat traffic, entanglement in fishing hooks, death from illegal electric fishing, and the construction of several massive dams. Now, another flagship species of the Yangtze River appears to have vanished.
Freshwater species worse off than land or marine
(10/15/2009)
Scientists have announced that freshwater species are likely the most threatened on earth. Extinction rates for freshwater inhabitants are currently four to six times the rates for terrestrial and marine species. Yet, these figures have not lead to action on the ground.
New species of ghostshark discovered off California's coast
(09/22/2009)
The discovery of Eastern Pacific black ghostshark Hydrolagus melanophasma is notable for a number of reasons. It is the first new species of cartilaginous fish—i.e fish whose skeletons are made entirely of cartilage, such as sharks, rays, and skate—to be described in California water since 1947. It is also a representative of an ancient and little-known group of fish.
Photos: new deep sea species discovered off the Canary Islands
(09/21/2009)
Owned by Spain, but located just off the northwest coast of Africa, the Canary Islands sport a wide variety of marine life, including five species of marine turtles, ten species of sharks and rays, and innumerable fish and invertebrates. However, a new expedition has gone beyond the known, sending a robot to depths of 500 meters to discover the secrets of the Canary Island's deep sea.
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