Pseudohemiodon sp. `MARBLED` • Loricariidae • Cat-eLog • PlanetCatfish

Pair (male to right)
Ventral view (male)
Ventral view (female)
Male with brood
Egg clutch
Fry
Fry
Male with eggs
Close-up of eggs (day 4)
Female
Egg clutch (day 8)
Thirty day old fry (18mm)
Close-up of eggs (day 10)
Male carrying eggs
Video - one day old fry
Video - one month old fry

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	Pseudohemiodon sp. `MARBLED`
Common Name(s)	Marbled Chameleon Whiptail
Pronunciation	seu doh hem ee oh don
Etymology	Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, hemi = half + Greek, odous = teeth
Species Information
Size	150mm (5.9") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	Very similar to P. apithanos, but lacks the silver-grey colouration and the jet-black dorsal ''badger'' stripe. This form is more of a light brown, with distinct, dark marbling on the head. The barbels are white in this marbled species, whereas those in P. apithanos are often at least partly black.
Sexing	Difficult, although the experienced aquarist can discern a fuller ventral region in a mature female.
General Remarks	A really fascinating fish to keep, they will sit buried in sand with just their eyes visible for hours on end, until some food is offered! They also have a rather comical manner of crawling along the substrate with their pelvic fins, in search of food.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Is found in the Rio Itaya and Rio Alejandro, Peru. These are white-water rivers. Amazon, Upper Amazon, Itaya (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) Amazon, Upper Amazon, Marañón , Ucayali , San Alejandro (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
pH	6.4 - 7.4
Temperature	25.0-29.0°C or 77-84.2°F (Show others within this range)
Other Parameters	These fish prefer to bury themselves in areas of gentle laminar current. Provide well oxygenated, fairly soft water at around 100-300 μS/cm with as few nitrates as possible.
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Pseudohemiodon are thought to feed upon aquatic invertebrates, which they locate with their web-like array of barbels. Upon contact with food, these fish will fly out of the sand in a flash, and begin a frenzied feed with their barbels twitching rapidly. Frozen bloodworm, mysis, midge larvae and mosquito larvae are readily eaten. Prepared foods such as Tetra Prima are also greedily accepted. These fish have a big appetite, and will scour the tank until all food has been located.
Furniture	These fish are sandbank dwellers, and will need at least 3cm of soft sand in which to sift for food and bury themselves. Provide as large an area of open sand as possible for the fish to show its natural behaviour. Plants are not a good idea, as they will restrict movement. Dim lighting is appreciated.
Compatibility	They will co-exist alongside each other quite happily, except for the odd skirmish, which is never a serious affair.
Suggested Tankmates	A peaceful fish that likes to be left alone. It will become agitated and stressed if constantly disturbed. Do not keep this fish with large robust cichlids such as Geophagus, as their digging and boisterous activity will bother the Pseudohemiodon. Small gentle fish such as Anabantids, Dwarf Cichlids, and Tetras will be okay. Also avoid larger, more aggressive loricariids. Farlowella for example are appropriate tankmates.
Breeding	These fish are lip-brooders, as are the other members of the genus Pseudohemiodon.
Further Information
References	Evers H. & Seidel I. (2005) Catfish Atlas 1. Mergus, Germany.
Registered Keepers	(1) Norman (k: 7), (2) Jools (k: 2), (3) janne dahle, (4) Manon des sources (k: 6), who also notes: "Juvenils". 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	(1) Norman (b: 32), (2) Jools (b: 21).
More Resources	- CotM 2008 January - Search Planet Catfish for more on Pseudohemiodon sp. `MARBLED` - BBcode (for use in linking to this page from forum posts) - Look up Pseudohemiodon sp. `MARBLED` on AquaticRepublic.com - URL (for use in linking to the species from anywhere on the web)
Hits	18706 hits.
Last Update	2008 Jan 07 13:56 (species record created: 2006 Feb 21 00:00)

Cat-eLog Data Sheet

Scientific Name

Pseudohemiodon sp. `MARBLED`

Common Name(s)

Marbled Chameleon Whiptail

Pronunciation

seu doh hem ee oh don

Etymology

Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, hemi = half + Greek, odous = teeth

Species Information

Size

150mm (5.9") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.

Identification

Very similar to P. apithanos, but lacks the silver-grey colouration and the jet-black dorsal ''badger'' stripe. This form is more of a light brown, with distinct, dark marbling on the head. The barbels are white in this marbled species, whereas those in P. apithanos are often at least partly black.

Sexing

Difficult, although the experienced aquarist can discern a fuller ventral region in a mature female.

General Remarks

A really fascinating fish to keep, they will sit buried in sand with just their eyes visible for hours on end, until some food is offered! They also have a rather comical manner of crawling along the substrate with their pelvic fins, in search of food.

Habitat Information

Distribution

Is found in the Rio Itaya and Rio Alejandro, Peru. These are white-water rivers.
Amazon, Upper Amazon, Itaya (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
Amazon, Upper Amazon, Marañón Show it on a map

, Ucayali

, San Alejandro Show it on a map

(hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)

6.4 - 7.4

Temperature

25.0-29.0°C or 77-84.2°F (Show others within this range)

Other Parameters

These fish prefer to bury themselves in areas of gentle laminar current. Provide well oxygenated, fairly soft water at around 100-300 μS/cm with as few nitrates as possible.

Husbandry Information

Feeding

Pseudohemiodon are thought to feed upon aquatic invertebrates, which they locate with their web-like array of barbels. Upon contact with food, these fish will fly out of the sand in a flash, and begin a frenzied feed with their barbels twitching rapidly. Frozen bloodworm, mysis, midge larvae and mosquito larvae are readily eaten. Prepared foods such as Tetra Prima are also greedily accepted. These fish have a big appetite, and will scour the tank until all food has been located.

Furniture

These fish are sandbank dwellers, and will need at least 3cm of soft sand in which to sift for food and bury themselves. Provide as large an area of open sand as possible for the fish to show its natural behaviour. Plants are not a good idea, as they will restrict movement. Dim lighting is appreciated.

Compatibility

They will co-exist alongside each other quite happily, except for the odd skirmish, which is never a serious affair.

Suggested Tankmates

A peaceful fish that likes to be left alone. It will become agitated and stressed if constantly disturbed. Do not keep this fish with large robust cichlids such as Geophagus, as their digging and boisterous activity will bother the Pseudohemiodon. Small gentle fish such as Anabantids, Dwarf Cichlids, and Tetras will be okay. Also avoid larger, more aggressive loricariids. Farlowella for example are appropriate tankmates.

Breeding

These fish are lip-brooders, as are the other members of the genus Pseudohemiodon.

Further Information

References

Evers H. & Seidel I. (2005) Catfish Atlas 1. Mergus, Germany.

Registered Keepers

(1) Norman (k: 7), (2) Jools (k: 2), (3) janne dahle, (4) Manon des sources (k: 6), who also notes: "Juvenils".

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

(1) Norman (b: 32), (2) Jools (b: 21).

More Resources

- CotM

2008

January

- Search Planet Catfish for more on Pseudohemiodon sp. `MARBLED`
Link

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

- Look up Pseudohemiodon sp. `MARBLED` on AquaticRepublic.com Link

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

Hits

18706 hits.

Last Update

2008 Jan 07 13:56 (species record created: 2006 Feb 21 00:00)

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