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Catfish
/ Schilbeidae / Congo Glass Catfish
African Glass Catfish, Congo Glass Catfish
Parailia congica | Pictures
SYN: Parailia longifilis
PD: Its body is elongated and laterally compressed. It is scaleless and lack body pigment, thus making the fish semi-transparent. The body color is light brown
and small brown spots cover the body. The internal organs and backbone can be seen. A dark brown stripe runs the vertebrate and extends to the tip of the tail.
A line of small spots runs along the bottom part of the fish's body. A long pair of barbels are located on the upper jaw, while two slightly shorter pairs and one
small pair are located on the lower. This glass catfish lacks dorsal and adipose fins.
SIZE: To 3" (8 cm)
SS: Kryptopterus, Omnpok, Parailia
HAB: West Africa; Stanley Pool of the Zaire River.
S: bottom, middle
TANK: 32" (80 cm) or 30 gallons (114 L). Provide good aeration and moderate current. The water should be very clean and clear. The tank should be
well-planted. Provide hiding places with rocks, roots, and wood.
WATER: pH 6.5 to 7.5 (6.9), 2-15 dH (8), 73-79°F (23-26°C)
SB: A shy, peaceful community fish that should be kept in a shoal of at least four fish. Individual specimen do poorly. A diurnal catfish.
SC: Synodontis, Congo Tetras, Kribensis, Steatocranus, Eutropiellus, tetras
FOOD: Live; insect larvae, Brine Shrimp, Tubifex, aquatic and terrestrial insects; flake. This fish must be fed live foods 1-2 times a week to stay healthy.
SEX: Females are said to be plumper.
B: Has not been reported. By feeding a pair mosquito larvae and Daphnia, keeping them in a clean tank, and stimulating the rainy season; spawning should be
possible.
BP: 10. Breeding has not been accomplished in aquaria
R: Very sensitive to water pollutants. Perform frequent partial water changes.
DC: 5. A sensitive fish that requires a diet of live foods.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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