Cat-eLog Right Loricariidae Right Loricariinae Right Rineloricaria  |  | 

  • Rineloricaria melini
  • Rineloricaria meliniMale
  • Rineloricaria melini
  • Rineloricaria melini
  • Rineloricaria melini
  • Rineloricaria meliniClose-up of dorsal view of head
  • Rineloricaria melini
  • Rineloricaria melini
  • Rineloricaria meliniClose-up of head
  • Rineloricaria melini
  • Rineloricaria melini
  • Rineloricaria melini
  • Rineloricaria meliniClose-up of male
  • Rineloricaria meliniFry
  • Rineloricaria meliniClose-up ventral view of fry
  • Rineloricaria meliniFry
  • Rineloricaria melini
  • Rineloricaria meliniDorsal view
  • Rineloricaria meliniEggs in spawning pipe
  • Rineloricaria melini
  • Rineloricaria melini
  • Rineloricaria meliniFemale genital papilla
Down Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name Rineloricaria melini  (Schindler, 1959)
Common Name Dappled Whiptail Catfish
Type Locality Rio Solimões near Manacapuru,Brazil
Synonym(s) Hemiloricaria melini, Loricariichthys melini
Pronunciation rhine lor ee kar ee ah. - meh LEAN eye
Etymology Greek, rhinos = nose + Latin, lorica, loricare = cuirass of corslet of leather. 
Down Species Information
Size 130mm or 5.1" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification Compared with most of the whiptail catfishes imported, this species from the Rio Negro in Brazil stands out because of its striking adult colouration. Young fishes still show the inconspicuous juvenile colouration. Only with increasing age the sometimes orange coloured, black margined dappled blotches become clearly visible. The species is sometimes mistakenly identified as H. teffeana from the Rio Tefé in the literature, but agrees in all aspects with the description of H. melini.
Sexing Males grow short spines in the top of their heads and pectoral fins.
General Remarks This species is widely distributed in the middle course of the Rio Negro and is occasionally, but rarely, imported via Manaus.
Down Habitat Information
Distribution South America: Amazon River basin.
Amazon, Middle Amazon (Solimoes), Negro, Middle Negro (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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IUCN Red List Category
Least Concern
, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2018.
pH 4.5 - 6.5
Other Parameters Soft water is required for this species.
Down Husbandry Information
Feeding Adaptable omnivores, these fish will eat most foods from cucumber or zucchini slices to frozen bloodworm or dry flake foods. User data.
Furniture The fish should be provided with half-pipe type refuges which also often be used as spawning sites.
Compatibility Peaceful and not territorial.
Breeding Unreported.
Breeding Reports There is but a single breeding report, read it here.
Down Further Information
Reference Arkiv för Zoologi v. 12 (no. 26), pp 387, Fig. 1.
Registered Keepers There are 23 registered keepers, view all "my cats" data.
Wishlists Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list.
There are 3 wishes to keep this species, see who wants what.
Spotters Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars!
There are 14 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
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Rineloricaria melini QR code LFS label creator
ARN ref:1.4.43.741
Last Update 2020 Sep 19 02:01 (species record created: 2001 Nov 23 00:00)