All fish / Loricariidae

Rupununi whiptail catfish

Sturisoma monopelte

Also known as whiptail catfish, royal farlowella, sturisoma, giant whiptail, スターリソーマ, 鲟身鲶

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This is a long, slender suckermouth catfish with a flattened armoured body, a tall dorsal fin and long filaments on the tips of the tail fin. Its sandy brown body has a dark stripe along each side. People keep it as a calm, unusual grazer that helps to keep algae down in large community tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

20 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Single, pair or small group

Diet

Herbivore: algae, blanched vegetables, algae wafers, with some frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Rupununi and Rio Branco basins, Guyana and Brazil

Breeding

Like other Sturisoma, the female probably lays eggs on a smooth, flat surface such as glass or wood, and the male then guards them until they hatch. Captive spawning of this exact species is rarely reported, but related whiptails breed fairly often in clean, well-oxygenated, slightly soft water.

Good to know

Wild fish can reach about 26 cm standard length, so it needs a long tank and clean water with good current and oxygen. It does poorly with fin nippers or pushy bottom dwellers that take its food, and it is easy to mix up with other Sturisoma species.