Pictus cat

The pictus catfish comes from the Amazon and Orinoco basins, working the sandy and muddy bottoms of shallow, flowing channels across Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Brazil. It is silver with a scatter of dark spots that carry on into a deeply forked tail, and it wears three pairs of long barbels that it drags over the substrate to find food. Adults grow to about 12 cm.

Two things catch new keepers out. First, the leading pectoral and dorsal rays are stiff spines coated in mild venom; a netted fish tangles easily and the spine can prick you, so move it in a jug or container instead. Second, this is a predator. It is peaceable enough with fish it cannot swallow, but neons, guppies and other small tankmates tend to disappear. Pair it with active, sturdy fish of reasonable size — rainbowfish, larger tetras, medium barbs.

It is a restless, mostly crepuscular swimmer that shows best under dim light and does far better in numbers; keep six or more, or it sulks in cover all day. Give it a 243 litre tank with a fine sand bed, some driftwood, and strong, well-oxygenated flow. Being scaleless, it reacts badly to dissolved waste and to many medications, so keep up weekly water changes and halve any dose you are unsure of. Water should sit at 22–25 °C, pH 5.8–6.8, on the soft side.

Its feeding response turns frantic once it smells food. Sinking pellets form the base, topped up with bloodworm, small earthworms and other meaty items — but do not overfeed, as it will gorge itself. Home breeding is essentially unheard of; almost all fish for sale are wild-caught.