(Please note that the fish shown in the photo is only a representative of what an adult specimen would look like. The color may vary based on the age and sex of the fish you receive.)
Scientific Name: Bunocephalus coracoideus
Common Name: Banjo Catfish, Guitarrita Catfish, Burrowing Catfish
Adult Size: 5 - 6 inches
Life Expectancy: 10 years
Habitat: Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay
Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallon
Ideal Tank Conditions:
- Temperature Range: 75 - 82°F
- pH Range: 6.0 – 8.0
- Hardness Range: 15 - 20
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet & Nutrition: Omnivore; high-quality sinking pellets, plants, and freeze-dried or frozen meaty foods will be readily accepted. These fish will eat most types of fish food, but they love live food such as bloodworms and daphnia.
Breeding & Spawning: Although it’s possible to breed them in a tank, it’s not recommended due to the fact that they lay thousands of eggs at a single time – which is simply far too many fry to deal with. Added to this issue, it’s usual for some of the parents to eat either the eggs or the fry once they’ve hatched, so if you do decide to breed them, you’ll need to remove the eggs from the tank.
Gender: Males and females are similar in length, but females look plumper than males when viewed from the side.
Compatible Tank Mates: See Compatibility Chart