Hoplosternum Thorocatum

Description

Hoplosternum Thorocatum is also known as Hoplo Catfish. They are easy to feed as in the wild, they eat insects, insect larvae, and detritus.  In an aquarium environment, they will accept live, freeze-dried and frozen foods, most types of sinking pellets, and uneaten flake foods.

They are dark brown with an almost black back and a whitish belly.  The entire body of the fish is dotted with black spots of varying sizes, and their first pectoral fin is usually coloured a reddish-brown at the edges.

The belly of the male develops a blue-violet sheen during breeding and males also develop enlarged, red pectoral spines with hooks at the tips that are used to defend their breeding territory against other males.

They prefer a densely planted aquarium with a dark sandy or fine-grained smooth bottom substrate, some driftwood, and plenty of open areas for them to dig and root around in.  The tank should have densely planted corners and floating plants to provide some shade, especially during breeding when they can become aggressive to other males.

Although the Hoplo Catfish is an extremely hardy air breather that can survive in the worst possible conditions, they are best housed in clean well-filtered water with a neutral pH.