All fish / Loricariidae

Pointed-nose Whiptail Catfish

Rineloricaria phoxocephala

Also known as whiptail catfish, pointed nose whiptail, l-010a, red whiptail, whiptail pleco, phoxocephala whiptail, 尖头丝尾鼠

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A slim, flattened suckermouth catfish with a pointed snout and a long, thin tail stalk ending in a forked caudal fin with a trailing upper filament. Its mottled brown colouring blends well with sand and wood. People keep it as a calm, undemanding bottom dweller that grazes on surfaces and suits community tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

22 to 27 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Single or a small group; several females per male

Diet

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

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Upper Amazon basin: Peru, Ecuador and Colombia

Breeding

Males guard eggs laid in a tube or cave, fanning them until they hatch after about a week to ten days. Mature males develop bristles on the head and pectoral fins. It breeds fairly readily in captivity when given tubes and clean, well-oxygenated water.

Good to know

Several similar whiptail species are sold under the same trade names, so identification is often uncertain. Avoid boisterous or nippy tankmates that compete for food or damage the fragile tail.