Description

The Hoplo Catfish (Hoplosternum thoracatum)is found in Brazil, Guyana, Martinique, Paraguay, Trinidad, Venezuela and throughout the Amazon River basin. They are most frequently found in standing shallow waters that have a dense growth of plants.

The Hoplo Catfish (Hoplosternum thoracatum) is synonomus with Megalechis thoracata, Callichtys thoracatus, Hoplosternum orinocoi, Callichthys thoracatus, Callichthys longifilis, Callichthys personatus, Callichthys exaratus, Hoplosternum thorae, Hoplosternum longifilis, and Hoplosternum magdalenea.

Tropical fish keeping enthusiasts commonly defer to Hopolo catfish or Brown Hopolo as the most commonly used name in fish shops.

The Hopolo Catfish prefers 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 Hopolo 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.

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