All fish / Auchenipteridae

Zamora Woodcat

Auchenipterichthys coracoideus

Also known as zamora catfish, midnight catfish, zamora woodcat, driftwood catfish, midnight woodcat, coracoid woodcat, ミッドナイトキャット, 午夜鲶

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A stocky, dark brown to near-black woodcat with fine pale speckling and white-edged fins, active mostly at night. It is hardy, long lived and tolerant of community life, so keepers like it as an unusual nocturnal catfish for medium-sized South American tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

150 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a small group of 3 or more

Diet

Carnivore: sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm, mysis and earthworms

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Upper Amazon basin: Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and western Brazil

Breeding

Like other driftwood catfish, males fertilise eggs internally using a modified anal fin, and females scatter or deposit the eggs later. Captive spawning is rarely reported and is not done on purpose by hobbyists.

Good to know

It will eat any fish small enough to fit in its mouth at night, so avoid keeping it with small tetras. Give it caves or driftwood to hide in during the day.