All fish / Loricariidae

Twig Catfish

Farlowella martini

Also known as twig catfish, stick catfish, farlowella, martin's twig catfish, whiptail catfish, ファロウェラ, 小精灵枯枝鲶, 枯枝鲶

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This is a very slim, stick-shaped armoured catfish with a long pointed snout and a brown body striped along each side, so it looks just like a twig. People keep it because it is so unusual and it quietly grazes algae off wood and leaves in calm planted tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

14 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Singly, in pairs or in a small group

Diet

Herbivore: algae, biofilm, blanched vegetables, algae wafers, with occasional small frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Venezuela and Colombia (Lake Maracaibo and Orinoco basins)

Breeding

Males guard eggs that the female lays on smooth vertical surfaces, such as the glass or wood, until they hatch. It has been bred in home aquariums, but the fry need a steady supply of algae and fine plant foods to survive.

Good to know

It needs clean, well-oxygenated water and plenty of algae or vegetable food, and it often starves if kept with boisterous fish that eat first. Several Farlowella species are sold under the same name and are hard to tell apart.