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s, or ''Corydoras">outheast Asia, as well as southeast China. A single species, ''R. gerlachi'', is only known from an old Zoological specimen">s ...
''Farlowella acus'' is the
''F. acus'' is one of the most commonly exported species of ''Farlowella'' for the aquarium. Twig catfishes are peaceful and sociable bottom dwellers and can be kept in most freshwater community tanks without problems, either as a single pet or as a group. It thrives best in a tank of at least 24 inches (60 cm) or 35 gallons, and should be provided with plenty of shelter such as bogwood pieces, vine roots, vertical twigs or slender plant stems to allow natural behavior. However, twig catfishes do not handle sudden or large amounts of water changes very well. They easily succumb to the shock of such an action. Therefore, a few small water changes per week with aged water are recommended in order to avoid stress. The water pH should be neutral with the temperature maintained between 72–77 °F. This fragile fish should be kept in a well-filtered aquarium with other quiet tankmates such as small characins (
s,_or_''Corydoras''_catfish._Aggressive_fish_such_as_barb_(fish).html" "title="Corydoras.html" ;"title="outheast Asia, as well as southeast China. A single species, ''R. gerlachi'', is only known from an old Zoological specimen">s ...type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...
of the armored catfish genus ''Farlowella
''Farlowella'' is a genus of fish in the family Loricariidae native to South America. This genus is broadly distributed in Amazon, Orinoco, Paraná and coastal rivers of the Guyana Shield. It is absent from the Pacific slope of the Andes and fro ...
.'' Members of this genus are commonly known as twig catfish or whiptail catfish. The specific name of the species, ''acus'', means “pointed” or a “needle” or “spine”.
Distribution
''Farlowella acus'' is native toSouth America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
, where it occurs in the drainage basins
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
of Lake Valencia and the Torito River in Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
.
Appearance and anatomy
''Farlowella acus'' reaches SL. The coloration of the species ranges from olive-green to yellow-brown with yellowish undersides. A very distinct irregular dark band, often beset with blotches, extends from the head to the root of the tail. The fins are transparent and the rays have dark spots. Each caudal lobe is normally with a dark band. Males' snout orrostrum
Rostrum may refer to:
* Any kind of a platform for a speaker:
**dais
**pulpit
* Rostrum (anatomy), a beak, or anatomical structure resembling a beak, as in the mouthparts of many sucking insects
* Rostrum (ship), a form of bow on naval ships
* Ros ...
is broader than the females'. When mature, the male's rostrum becomes adorned with small bristles known as odontodes. The females' thinner snouts will remain smooth at all times.
Ecology
These fish feed on plants and roots. Twig catfishes spawn from between November and March.In the aquarium
''F. acus'' is one of the most commonly exported species of ''Farlowella'' for the aquarium. Twig catfishes are peaceful and sociable bottom dwellers and can be kept in most freshwater community tanks without problems, either as a single pet or as a group. It thrives best in a tank of at least 24 inches (60 cm) or 35 gallons, and should be provided with plenty of shelter such as bogwood pieces, vine roots, vertical twigs or slender plant stems to allow natural behavior. However, twig catfishes do not handle sudden or large amounts of water changes very well. They easily succumb to the shock of such an action. Therefore, a few small water changes per week with aged water are recommended in order to avoid stress. The water pH should be neutral with the temperature maintained between 72–77 °F. This fragile fish should be kept in a well-filtered aquarium with other quiet tankmates such as small characins (tetra
Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA; formerly known as Trans-European Trunked Radio), a European standard for a trunked radio system, is a professional mobile radio and two-way transceiver specification. TETRA was specifically designed for use by ...
s), rasbora
''Rasbora'' is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae. They are native to freshwater habitats in South and akistan s_...
s,_or_''s,_or_''Corydoras">outheast_Asia,_as_well_as_southeast_China._A_single_species,_''R._gerlachi'',_is_only_known_from_an_old_Zoological_specimen">s_...s, or ''Corydoras'' catfish. Aggressive fish such as barb (fish)">barb Barb or the BARBs or ''variation'' may refer to: People * Barb (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname * Barb, a term used by fans of Nicki Minaj to refer to themselves * The Barbs, a band Places * Barb, ...
s, cichlids, and larger catfishes should be avoided.
Feeding
These fish will primarily feed on algae and vegetable laden wafers or Tablet (pharmacy), tablets; though they might accept worms or such meatier fare, they do not do well on this type of diet. It is quite difficult to get a right balance in feeding these species because of their herbivorous preference.Breeding
Twig catfish can be induced to breed at any time, if in good condition, in captivity. In the aquarium the male will clean a hard surface (usually the aquarium wall) and the female lays its eggs at night or early morning. The female normally lays a clutch of about 60 to 80 eggs on this surface. During the incubation period the male tends to the eggs with its mouth and by fanning them with his pectoral fins. The eggs will hatch after 6 to 10 days, depending on the temperature. Newly hatched larvae will quickly feed on any organic or plant material and micro bacteria found in an established tank but can also be provided with cucumber, squashed peas,lettuce
Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of food, ...
and courgette
The zucchini (; plural: zucchini or zucchinis), courgette (; plural: courgettes) or baby marrow (''Cucurbita pepo'') is a summer squash, a vining herbaceous plant whose fruit are harvested when their immature seeds and epicarp (rind) are sti ...
(zucchini
The zucchini (; plural: zucchini or zucchinis), courgette (; plural: courgettes) or baby marrow (''Cucurbita pepo'') is a summer squash, a vining herbaceous plant whose fruit are harvested when their immature seeds and epicarp (rind) are st ...
) as daily supplements.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1073909 acus Fish of South America Taxa named by Rudolf Kner Fish described in 1853