All fish / Loricariidae

Twig Catfish

Farlowella odontotumulus

Also known as twig catfish, stick catfish, farlowella, whiptail catfish, needle catfish, ファーロウェラ, 小精灵

No free-to-use photo of this fish yet. Took one yourself? Send it to us and we will credit you.

A very slender, stick-like armoured catfish with a long pointed snout and brown colouring with a dark stripe along each side, which makes it look like a twig. It is kept for its unusual shape and its quiet habit of grazing algae and biofilm on wood and plants.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Singly, in pairs or a small group

Diet

Herbivore: biofilm, algae, algae wafers, blanched courgette and occasional small frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Upper Orinoco and Amazon basins, Venezuela and Colombia

Breeding

Males guard eggs laid on smooth vertical surfaces such as glass or wood, and the eggs hatch in about a week. It has been bred in captivity, but the fry are hard to raise because they need constant soft algae food.

Good to know

Many twig catfish are sold under the wrong Farlowella names, so the exact species is often uncertain. It needs clean, well oxygenated water, a mature tank with plenty of biofilm, and calm tankmates that will not outcompete it for food.