Oxyropsis

Oxyropsis carinata is a small armoured catfish from the Amazon basin, one of three described species in the genus Oxyropsis within the Hypoptopomatinae subfamily. It reaches about 7.6 cm standard length, a figure FishBase and PlanetCatfish record independently, and can be distinguished from the similar Hypoptopoma by a single line of enlarged odontodes running along the flank just above the lateral line, and by its compressed caudal peduncle (Hypoptopoma has a rounded one in cross-section). The body is flattened, the snout pointed, and the eyes set high on the head, reflecting a lifestyle spent resting on vertical surfaces in flowing water. In the aquarium they need moderate current, smooth rocks, driftwood branches, and broad-leaved plants such as Anubias on whose leaves they perch. Published temperature advice for the species disagrees: ScotCat gives 26-29°C, while FishBase records 20-25°C from a 1991 aquarium atlas. Since the fish comes from Amazon tributaries near the Peruvian border, this profile follows the warmer figure, but the range should be treated as unsettled. A pH of 6.0-7.5 and a 60-litre tank suit a small group of five. The diet is omnivorous with a strong bias toward plant matter — algae, biofilm, algae wafers, blanched vegetables, and occasional small live or frozen foods. Peaceful and suitable for community tanks with similarly small, non-aggressive fish. Rare in the trade; most specimens are wild-caught, so careful acclimation is essential.