All fish / Loricariidae

Rineloricaria anitae

Rineloricaria anitae

Also known as anita's whiptail catfish, whiptail catfish, whiptail pleco, rineloricaria sp.

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This is a slim, flattened whiptail catfish from southern Brazil. Its mottled brown body helps it blend in over sand and leaf litter, and its long caudal filament gives the group its common name. People keep it as a quiet, peaceful bottom dweller for subtropical or cooler community tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

18 to 24 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Pair or small group of 3 or more

Diet

Omnivore: sinking catfish pellets, algae wafers, blanched vegetables, bloodworm and other small frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Brazil: coastal river basins of Santa Catarina (Itajaí-Açu basin)

Breeding

Males guard the eggs, which are laid in tubes, caves or crevices, and fan them until they hatch. Spawning in captivity is quite achievable for whiptails when the water is clean and well oxygenated, though this species turns up in the trade only rarely.

Good to know

This species comes from cooler subtropical streams, so it should not be kept warm for long periods, and it needs clean, oxygen-rich water with some current. It is easily confused with other Rineloricaria species.