Hemidoras stenopeltis • Doradidae • Cat-eLog • PlanetCatfish

Dorsal view of head
Dorsal view
Close-up of head
Hemidoras below, Nemadoras above.
Close-up of barbles
Dorsal view

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Hemidoras stenopeltis** (Kner, 1855)
Common Name(s)	Mouse Catfish
Synonym(s)	Doras stenopeltis
Etymology	Hemidoras: From the Greek hemi, meaning half, and doras, meaning skin (also a word commonly used in forming generic names for doradids); in reference to the similarity to Doras (another doradid genus).
Species Information
Size	120mm (4.7") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	The black top mouse catfish is very similar to another mouse catfish, Nemadoras leporhinus, the main visual difference being the latter's clear dorsal fin with a black marking at its base. Aside from that N. leporhinus has longer leading fin rays. Key characters are deep plates, pointed humeral process (vs. rounded in Leptodoras), short pointed snout, plates along back (also along ventral midline before anal fin) and tip of dorsal fin dipped in black.
Habitat Information
Distribution	South America: Rio Amazonas basin common in the area around Iquitos, Peru. Amazon (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
pH	6.0 - 7.6
Temperature	22.0-25.5°C or 71.6-77.9°F (Show others within this range)
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Until acclimatized, the fish appears quite selective and like small foods. Crushed flake or sinking flake-based tablets best for smaller individuals although brineshrimp is taken by species around the 2'' mark. Larger, more settled fish are easier to feed and become very active during feeding.
Furniture	Dense vegetation empowers this fish with a much needed sense of confidence in it's surroundings. Caves or dark refuges appear less important.
Compatibility	Not aggressive and, as with all Doradids, sociable with its own species. Smaller fish appear to have an innate fear of larger fish and becomes very shy in their presence.
Suggested Tankmates	Shoaling tetras and Brochis are ideal. Dwarf cichlids and smaller labyrinth fish (Gouramis etc) are also suitably gentile. Larger, acclimatized fish will do well in a medium to large community set-up. At any size, best kept in shoals to ensure greater boldness and health.
Breeding	Unreported.
Further Information
References	Sitzungsber. Akad. Wiss. Wienv. 17 - pp142 [53] - Pl. 4 (fig. 7)
Registered Keepers	(1) inspiritid, (2) sidguppy (k: 3). Click on a username above to see all that persons registered catfish species. You can also view all "my cats" data for this species. Add this species to your "my cats" page.
Breeding Reports	None.
More Resources	- CotM 2000 November - Search Planet Catfish for more on Hemidoras stenopeltis - BBcode (for use in linking to this page from forum posts) - Look up Hemidoras stenopeltis on AquaticRepublic.com - Look up Hemidoras stenopeltis on Fishbase, I.T.I.S. or ispecies search. - URL (for use in linking to the species from anywhere on the web)
Hits	7081 hits.
Last Update	2008 Oct 19 16:06 (species record created: 2001 Apr 21 00:00)

Cat-eLog Data Sheet

Scientific Name

Hemidoras stenopeltis (Kner, 1855)

Common Name(s)

Mouse Catfish

Synonym(s)

Doras stenopeltis

Etymology

Hemidoras: From the Greek hemi, meaning half, and doras, meaning skin (also a word commonly used in forming generic names for doradids); in reference to the similarity to Doras (another doradid genus).

Species Information

Size

120mm (4.7") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.

Identification

The black top mouse catfish is very similar to another mouse catfish, Nemadoras leporhinus, the main visual difference being the latter's clear dorsal fin with a black marking at its base. Aside from that N. leporhinus has longer leading fin rays. Key characters are deep plates, pointed humeral process (vs. rounded in Leptodoras), short pointed snout, plates along back (also along ventral midline before anal fin) and tip of dorsal fin dipped in black.

Habitat Information

Distribution

South America: Rio Amazonas basin common in the area around Iquitos, Peru.
Amazon (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)

6.0 - 7.6

Temperature

22.0-25.5°C or 71.6-77.9°F (Show others within this range)

Husbandry Information

Feeding

Until acclimatized, the fish appears quite selective and like small foods. Crushed flake or sinking flake-based tablets best for smaller individuals although brineshrimp is taken by species around the 2'' mark. Larger, more settled fish are easier to feed and become very active during feeding.

Furniture

Dense vegetation empowers this fish with a much needed sense of confidence in it's surroundings. Caves or dark refuges appear less important.

Compatibility

Not aggressive and, as with all Doradids, sociable with its own species. Smaller fish appear to have an innate fear of larger fish and becomes very shy in their presence.

Suggested Tankmates

Shoaling tetras and Brochis are ideal. Dwarf cichlids and smaller labyrinth fish (Gouramis etc) are also suitably gentile. Larger, acclimatized fish will do well in a medium to large community set-up. At any size, best kept in shoals to ensure greater boldness and health.

Breeding

Unreported.

Further Information

References

Sitzungsber. Akad. Wiss. Wienv. 17 - pp142 [53] - Pl. 4 (fig. 7)

Registered Keepers

(1) inspiritid, (2) sidguppy (k: 3).

Click on a username above to see all that persons registered catfish species. You can also view all "my cats" data for this species.

Add this species to your My Cats species list

Add this species to your "my cats" page.

Breeding Reports

None.

More Resources

- CotM

2000

November

- Search Planet Catfish for more on Hemidoras stenopeltis
Link

- BBcode (for use in linking to this page from forum posts)
Look up AquaticRepublic.com

- Look up Hemidoras stenopeltis on AquaticRepublic.com
Look up Fishbase

- Look up Hemidoras stenopeltis on Fishbase, I.T.I.S. or ispecies search.
Link

- URL (for use in linking to the species from anywhere on the web)

Hits

7081 hits.

Last Update

2008 Oct 19 16:06 (species record created: 2001 Apr 21 00:00)

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