With so many different species out there, it’s inevitable that there should be some oddball catfish. Haakon Haagensen highlights some absolute whiskery gems.
WHEN THINKING OF oddballs for the aquarium, anything extraordinary, uncommon, and particularly strange may come to mind. They are often rare collectors items and hard to find in stores. A significant number of the species in this category still have their place in the hobby, despite their lack of popularity and limited commercial value. In fact, the number of species I would define as oddballs far outnumber the few hundred most popular ‘mainstream’ species. The average store will at best have a rotating stock of a few oddballs combined with the always present ‘must-haves’. This is part of what makes such species special and intriguing.
Curious cats
The catfishes, the order Siluriformes, is perhaps the most oddball-rich group of them all. With over 4000 catfish species spread across the whole world, and the majority found in the tropical waters of South America, it’s surprising how few of them end up in the annals of the most traded aquarium fish. Even those which have made the top 100 list are often kept for cleaning purposes rather than striking looks—flashing colours is not usually their thing.
Most fishkeepers will be familiar with the widely available species of Corydoras, as well as common algae-eating species of the genera Ancistrus, Otocinclus and Pterygoplichthys (the last of these being ‘plecos’ that grow way too big for the majority of aquariums out there). Some of the 500+ L-number plecos (my personal favourites) used to be very popular up until a few years ago, but the interest seems to be declining. However, they still have a significant fanbase, with websites and conventions dedicated to them, and people are willing to pay sky-high prices for certain species.
The aim of this article is to showcase a few selected favourites of mine from the fascinating world of South America. These are species one might be able to find in a well-stocked store, or at least be able to track down with some patience. In my opinion, these novelties are interesting study objects that we can still learn a lot about.
Centromochlus orca
Also known as Tatia orca, commonly ninja tatia or ninja woodcat, this is quite an eye-catcher. The scientific name obviously refers to the markings, which resemble those of orca whales.
Hailing from Rio Nhamundá, Brazil, it can easily be confused with Centromochlus musaicus from Venezuela. Its white patch just below the dorsal f
