Shane's World • PlanetCatfish

Greetings and welcome to Shane's World. The goal of this resource is to provide a place where the aquarist and scientist alike can learn and exchange information on Siluriformes (catfishes). When Planet's owner Jools and I discussed this at length (in the mid 1990's), Shane's World was born! Here we have articles from me and a great number of other folks from right across the catfish world. They are roughly grouped into general catfish articles ('Catfishology'), those relating to Geography, Reproduction and Species categories as you see below. Dive in!

General articles from authors who just want to write about catfish in the aquarium and the wild. The 'Catfish Basics' series is especially useful for the aquarist new to the catfish hobby. Most recently added articles:

Corydoras 101 by Julian Dignall (uploaded April 09, 2013)
Some common Corydoras to consider as good starter species for anyone interested in starting out with these evergreen, omnipresent and hugely popular catfish.

L's Belles - Loricariid Analysis by Mats Petersson (uploaded July 15, 2010)
Graphical analysis of the introduction rate of l-number plecos from inception to mid 2010.

Feeding Plecos
Pt 2 • Who eats what? by Mats Petersson (uploaded January 29, 2010)
Overview of techniques used in observing what your pleco eats and information on the diets of various groups.

DIY Blackwater: Make your Own Oak Leaf Extract by Deborah Claro Childress (uploaded July 03, 2009)
A hands-on, how-to article with pictures demonstrating both the fun and the practicalities of this useful fishkeeping project.

Remote photography of catfish by Håvard Støre Andresen (uploaded May 04, 2009)
A unique "How-to" article on catfish photography from an author whos photographs speak for themselves.

Aquascaping for Hypancistrus zebra
Pt 1 • The Perfectionist by Håvard Støre Andresen (uploaded December 09, 2008)
A brief and inspirational look at really hardcore aquaria design for the the zebra pleco.

Articles on the reproduction of individual species with details from the aquarists that have kept them. Most recently added articles:

Breeding the Medusa Pleco, Ancistrus ranunculus by Geoff Haglund (uploaded November 01, 2012)
A report of several spawnings and attempts to raise the fry of this unusual Brazilian bristlenose species by an aquarist in New Zealand.

Captive spawning of Glass Catfish by Kat Bolstad (uploaded October 27, 2012)
An account of an "accidental" spawning of the common Glass Catfish, Kryptopterus minor, in a hobbyists community tank.

A chance spawning of the Asian Bumblebee by Megan Gallagher (uploaded June 22, 2012)
A surprising article which should be read by anyone interested in catfish breeding, bagrids and generally thinking about how a whole bunch of catfishes might just be spawned.

Making Sunshine in Indonesia by Rajanta Sinardja Rahardja (uploaded December 07, 2011)
The successful spawning and rearing of the majestic L014, Sunshine or Goldie Pleco, Scobinancistrus aureatus.

Breeding L128 by Andreas Bjørvik (uploaded May 29, 2011)
Less commonly seen than Hemiancistrus subviridis, this personal and vivid account of spawning L128, is an equally rare article well worth the potential breeders consideration.

Breeding Baryancistrus beggini, the Blue Fin Panaque or L239 by Geoff Haglund (uploaded July 05, 2010)
One of the first recorded spawning accounts of this increasingly popular little species.

A collection of articles by various authors on the catfish of different regions of the world. Features Shane's Venezuela Diary. Most recently added articles:

In Search of Corydoras boesemani by Ingo Seidel (uploaded June 28, 2010)
A first trip to unfamiliar Surinam provides the author with the opportunity to document the habitat and aquarium care and breeding of this pretty species.

In search of Corydoras carlae by Hans-Georg Evers (uploaded April 02, 2010)
Collecting trips to Argentina are uncommon at least in relation to several other South American countries. This article details the search by a multinational group of aquarists for an even more uncommon Cory.

Uganda Diaries
Pt 2 • Uganda's Papyrus Swamps by Shane Linder (uploaded January 25, 2010)
In which our intrepid correspondent checks out this new, and quintessentially African, central African biotope.

Uganda Diaries
Pt 1 • Lake Nabugabo by Shane Linder (uploaded September 28, 2009)
An initial foray into Ugandan waters turns up a familiar face.

My First Collecting Trip by Amanda Parker (uploaded December 28, 2008)
A personal account of a first time at the riverbank.

Exploring West Bengal for aquarium fishes by Antti Vuorela (uploaded April 14, 2007)
India is a remarkable country, equally remarkable are its aquarium fishes. Specifically catfishes are detailed by our intrepid correspondents in this report from but a corner of this vast country.

Articles on individual and groups of species with notes from the aquarists that have kept them. Most recently added articles:

The Pleco Egg Collectors of Florida by Ingo Seidel (uploaded April 09, 2013)
An interesting account of the collection and cultivation of Pterygoplichthys within the fish trade from exotic wild populations in the American state of Florida.

Partial translation of Kner's "Die Hypostomiden. Zweite Hauptgruppe der Familie der Panzerfische" by Sandor Tüllmann (uploaded June 10, 2012)
This translation from the original 1854 German text by Prof. Dr. R. Kner focusses on the descriptions of three species of flounder pleco from Brazil's Rio Negro.

Visually comparing Synodontis petricola & S. lucipinnis by Birger Kamprath (uploaded September 19, 2009)
An in-depth look at telling this two species apart using only techniques applicable to live fish.

Pimelodus ornatus: A piece of jewellery in the aquarium by Wolfgang Ros (uploaded August 22, 2009)
We've already covered the species in the catfish of the month section, otherwise this article would be there. It's an in-depth look at this most suitable of Pimelodids.

How to Put a Tandanus in Your Tank by David Wilson (uploaded July 03, 2009)
The author describes how he caught three Australian eel tail catfish (dewfish) Tandanus tandanus with rod and line. They are easy to keep in captivity, but grow large.

A Guide to the Identification of Plecos by Sandor Tüllmann (uploaded April 18, 2009)
In which the author takes us through all the genera of the largest group of loricariids, the Hypostominae, home of virtually of the l-numbers.

The Siluriformes are a large and diverse group of fishes consisting of well over 30 families and 2,500 species. They can be found on every continent with the exception of Antarctica. Their habitats range from the frozen rivers of Siberia to the steamy swamps of Borneo. Species have been found in the Himalayas and Andes at altitudes of over 14,000 feet, while others live in the oceans among the coral reefs. Catfishes range in size from some of the smallest known fishes to the largest. Scoloplax dicra is fully-grown at 1/2 inch while the European wels (Silurus glanis) grows to 16 feet and can weigh 650lbs. These amazing fishes reproduce in about every way we know fishes reproduce. Among the Siluriformes we find mouthbrooders, livebearers (of a sort), bubblenest builders, egg scatterers, cuckoo spawners, nest builders, fish that carry their eggs attached to their mouth, and even catfishes that feed their fry with a body slime.

With so many species coming from such diverse locations and habitats, it is no wonder that finding good solid information about a certain catfish can be tricky. The articles beyond this page come from myself and others with an interest in these fascinating fishes. Among the authors are well known aquarists and scientists, but I want to stress that it is not necessary to be an expert or have a Ph.D. to contribute to the world's collective knowledge on catfishes. If you believe you have something to contribute to this section of this site please drop me a line.

Shane Linder

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