All fish / Loricariidae

Schreitmueller's twig catfish

Farlowella schreitmuelleri

Also known as twig catfish, stick catfish, farlowella, whiptail catfish, schreitmuller's twig catfish, farlowella schreitmulleri, ファーロウェラ・シュライトミュレリ, 小精灵枯枝鲶, 枝鲶

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

This is a very slender, twig-shaped suckermouth catfish. It has a long pointed snout, a dark brown stripe running along each side and long filaments on the tail. Keepers like it because it grazes algae, stays peaceful and looks unusual when it rests on wood or plant stems.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

18 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

100 litres

Keep as

Singly, in pairs or in a small group

Diet

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

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon basin, Brazil

Breeding

It spawns in caves or on hard surfaces, and the male guards the eggs until they hatch. It has bred in well-kept, mature tanks, but rearing the fry is tricky because they need a steady supply of fine algae and biofilm.

Good to know

It needs clean, well-oxygenated water and a mature tank with plenty of algae and driftwood, and wild fish often arrive underfed. Keep it away from boisterous or nippy tankmates that compete for food. Sellers often mix it up with other Farlowella species.