All fish / Loricariidae

Daraha Whiptail Catfish

Rineloricaria daraha

Also known as daraha whiptail, whiptail catfish, rineloricaria sp. daraha, red whiptail, royal whiptail, リネロリカリア・ダラハ, 小精灵鞭尾鲶

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This is a slender, flattened armoured catfish with a long tail stalk and mottled brown and dark markings that blend in with sand and leaf litter. People keep it because it is a quiet, peaceful bottom dweller that suits soft-water community tanks and blackwater layouts.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

11 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

5.5 to 7

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

A pair or small group

Diet

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

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Upper Rio Negro basin, Brazil

Breeding

Males guard eggs laid inside tubes or caves and fan them until they hatch, and adult males grow bristles on the head. It has been bred in home aquariums, but the fry need fine foods and clean water, so raising them takes some care.

Good to know

It needs clean, well-oxygenated soft water and a sandy bottom, and it can be outcompeted for food by boisterous tankmates. Other whiptail species look very similar and are often sold under the same names.