All fish / Loricariidae

Twig Catfish

Farlowella acus

Also known as twig catfish, farlowella, stick catfish, whiptail catfish, needle catfish, farlowella catfish, ファロウェラ・アクス, ファロウェラ, 小精灵枝鲶, 枝鲶

An extremely slender, stick-like armoured catfish with a long snout and a brown body bearing a dark stripe along each side, giving it superb camouflage among twigs and plants. Keepers prize it for its unusual shape, calm nature and habit of grazing algae from wood, glass and leaves.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

22 to 27 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Singly, in a pair or as a small group

Diet

Herbivore: biofilm and algae, blanched vegetables such as courgette, algae wafers and some small frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Venezuela (Lake Valencia and upper Orinoco basin)

Breeding

Males guard eggs laid on glass or smooth surfaces and grow bristles on the snout when mature. Spawning has been achieved in well-oxygenated, mature tanks with good feeding, but raising the fry needs plenty of algae and is moderately challenging.

Good to know

Most fish sold as Farlowella acus are actually other Farlowella species, and the true species is threatened in the wild. It needs clean, well-oxygenated water with established biofilm and should not be kept with boisterous or nippy tankmates.