Pinocchio witch catfish - Hemiodontichthys acipenserinus - 8-10cm

The Pinocchio witch cat fish or nose catfish Hemiodontichthys acipenserinus from Bolivia, Brazil, Suriname, Guyana and Peru in South America has more than earned its name - it has a very conspicuous "nose", a clear extension of the head forward, also called rostrum. At the same time, the males have a much longer nose than the females, the females are more rounded.

Nose catfishes belong to the family of loricariid catfishes. They grow to a length of about 15 cm. In nature they live in black water, but also in clear water and sometimes in white water on sandy bonde ground. Here you buy animals from 8-10 cm body length.

Their body color is dark with a light reticulated pattern. Sometimes the animals also have dark stripes. Their body structure is strikingly flat. They like to half-bury themselves in the sand.

The very calm Pinocchio Witch Catfish can be kept alone or in a group. They can be kept in an aquarium as small as 60 cm side length. Oxygen rich water is perfect for Pinocchio Witch Catfish. They do not need hiding places, because they can hook themselves there with their rostrum. They like to burrow in the sand. The filtration does not need to be as strong as for other loricariids. The water values are not important, because they also occur in soft to hard water in nature. The temperature should be between 22 and 30 °C, the ideal range is 24 to 28 °C.

The Pinocchio Witch Catfish is a peaceful fellow that is rather slow and leisurely moving and should therefore be the only bottom dweller in the aquarium. One must always watch out that they get enough food. They like to eat varied food - frozen food and live food, some mulm, catfish sticks, ... It is best to feed them just before the lights go out in the aquarium, so they can eat in peace.

With peaceful fish living in higher water layers and with dwarf shrimps or also with fan shrimps Hemiodontichthys acipenserinus can be well socialized. Crayfish are not good company because they can attack and injure the Pinocchio Witch Catfish.

Breeding of the Pinocchio Witch Catfish is possible in the aquarium. The animals spawn mainly at night and show a very interesting breeding behavior. The lips of the males enlarge. With this they wrap around the spawning ball of 10 to 50 eggs - therefore the animals are also called lip brooders. The males carry the egg sac between their lips until the fry hatch, and then continue to care for the fry for about a week. A spawn-bearing male can be placed in a separate breeding tank for better rearing. Breeding in a permanent tank is also possible. For breeding, feed the young nose catfish with Artemia euplii and granulated food.

Our food recommendation: The NatureHolic Catfish Feed for all aufwuchs feeding sucking catfish in the aquarium is a balanced tablet food, which does not cloud the water and the fish like to eat. The catfish tablets also contain NatureHolic active ingredient complexes that provide sucker catfish with everything they need for a strong immune system, healthy growth and great, contrasting coloration.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.

Picture: Enrico Richter - exclusively for Garnelio