Callichtys callicthys, Megalechis picta and black Hoplo

[Phoxinus]

Hi

I am a new member in this forum. I am very interested in the Callichtys callicthys. Do you have this species of armored catfish? Have you seen it on sale in aquarium stores? I live in Finland and it seems almost impossible to get that fish there but maybe some of you are lucky enough to own this beautiful catfish.

Another question: do you know anything about the availability of the black Megalechis thoracata that is introduced in the Baensch/Mergus Atlas? What about Megalechis picta?

Phoxinus

[MatsP]

Megalechis thoracata

should be reasonably easy to find. I saw some small ones in one of the shops local to me the other week.

From what I have read about it, C. callichtyhys is not so easy to find - and wholesaler lists that list this fish doesn't necessarily mean that you actually get the species that was listed, it is more often some other species, such as

Hoplosternum littorale

--
Mats

[Richard B]

Callicthys are nowhere near as common as Megalechis thoracata but are still available every so often here in the UK - my previous employer had some a couple of months back which were genuine & the last one in his tank is now sharing a tank at home with a Liosomadoras.

I think i saw them in London earlier this month which would have been at Wholesale tropicals or Aquatic design centre. It is an active & interesting cat that looks very impressive when full grown.

Mats is right that wholesaler lists are very often incorrect

[TP]

There have been quite a few Callichtys around in the north west over the last year, Pier aquatics have them in often as do some of the other shops. There have also been some in the local fish auctions, somebody must have bred some recently as there were some very small ones that went for £1-2 at the CSG aution and then this weekend at the Preston auction a lovely pair of large fish went for only £8, a single large one went for £2. Not bad considering last year I paid £17.50 each!!

[CoryWally]

At the Castleford AS auction last night there were tank bred Callichthys going for a couple of quid, and we're talking big ones. Also the usual thoracatum AND... genuine Megalechis picta, tank bred in South Yorkshire for the bargain price of £2.50 a pair (at 6cm SL). I assume they came from the author of this post:
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =6&t=21909

Generally there are plenty of 'hoplos' around at the various fish club auctions. I picked up 4 of the picta and also have pectorale and callichthys - all from local breeders in the North.

Happy hunting,
Mark.

[Carp37]

I've got Callichthys callichthys, but I've NEVER seen them in shops. My Callichthys were sourced from a colleague from a local aquarist society, who also breeds a few others of the hoplo-type species and genera, including Megalechis picta. If you can find Callichthys they're definitely a great community fish for larger aqauaria.

[Phoxinus]

Hi

My local fish store is going to order some fish from Peru soon and I saw these fishes on the list.
Pollera cat
Dianema calixtis
Dianema longibarbis
Dianema green
Porthol stripped
Dianema yellow
Prochilodus nigricans

Which one of these could possibly be Callichtys callicthys? What do you think?

[Richard B]

Ooooo - tricky, maybe none of them?

Pollera cat - ??? Haven't a clue
Dianema calixtis - ??? Calliichthys=calixtis maybe
Dianema longibarbis - genuine species
Dianema green - regional variation of D.Longibarbis???
Porthol stripped - D. Urostriatum ?
Dianema yellow - regional variation of D.Longibarbis???
Prochilodus nigricans - a large characin, not a catfish

It is often a problem when commercial made up names are used (as Marc has found with woodcats)

[Birger]

This is how it was in a recent list I was just looking at from Peru

Pimelodella 4 lines - Pimelodella sp.
Porthole yellow - Callichthys sp.
Porthole calixto - Callichthys Callichthys
Porthole common - Dianema longibardis
Porthole red - Callichthys sp.

Birger

[Phoxinus]

Ok, thank you for the answers. My LFS gets supplies me 10 x "Dianema calixtis". Hopefully they are Callichtys callicthys.

[hoplo]

At the Castleford AS auction last night there were tank bred Callichthys going for a couple of quid, and we're talking big ones. Also the usual thoracatum AND... genuine Megalechis picta, tank bred in South Yorkshire for the bargain price of £2.50 a pair (at 6cm SL). I assume they came from the author of this post:
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =6&t=21909

Generally there are plenty of 'hoplos' around at the various fish club auctions. I picked up 4 of the picta and also have pectorale and callichthys - all from local breeders in the North.

Happy hunting,
Mark.

I've got Callichthys callichthys, but I've NEVER seen them in shops. My Callichthys were sourced from a colleague from a local aquarist society, who also breeds a few others of the hoplo-type species and genera, including Megalechis picta. If you can find Callichthys they're definitely a great community fish for larger aqauaria.

Hi Stu & Mark,
Hi All,

Yes it is my hubby Andy and i (Vicky) that's breeding the hoplos, up here in South Yorkshire.

Yes Mark (CoryWally) they are our Megalechis picta.

Yes its us thats been flooding the auction and some shops in the North for the last 5 or so years with the different kinds of hoplos and they are all tank bred with lots of TLC.

We have been breeding

Megalechis picta (Last spawned on the 9-9-07)
Callichthys callichthys (Last spawned on the 20-12-07)
Megalechis thoracata (Last spawned on the 15-2-08)
Hoplosternum littorale ( Last spawned on the 27-4-08)
Lepthoplosternum pectorale (Last spawned on the 28-4-08)

We have just set up a tank for the Hoplosternum punctatum to spawn, so fingers and toes crossed plz

It has took us some years to get all the above hoplos, i think its about 7 or 8 years, may be more, i have lost count.

In search for our little friends, the hoplos, we have been to London, Luton, Cornwall and Preston.

Good luck with find the hoplos you are looking for Phoxinus.

Vicky xx

[Marc van Arc]

I'm sorry for this late reply, but afaik Porthole Yellow = Callichthys callichthys. Check the site below, click fish gallery and enjoy the pictures. I got quite enthousiastic from them and wanted to enjoy some fishes too, but they never arrived.......

http://www.peru-aquarium.com/site/index.htm

PS: Pollera cat is a Trachelyopterus species (Woodcat)

[Richard B]

I can see why you like that site Marc! They have some very interesting fish.

I was bemused by the max cat on Page 38(?) which is a pim identified as a auchenipterid!

[Phoxinus]

We have been breeding

Megalechis picta (Last spawned on the 9-9-07)
Callichthys callichthys (Last spawned on the 20-12-07)
Megalechis thoracata (Last spawned on the 15-2-08)
Hoplosternum littorale ( Last spawned on the 27-4-08)
Lepthoplosternum pectorale (Last spawned on the 28-4-08)

We have just set up a tank for the Hoplosternum punctatum to spawn, so fingers and toes crossed plz Vicky xx

Hi

You have a nice collection of Hoplos indeed! Would you be able to post some photos of your species here (especially Callichthys callichthys and Lepthoplosternum pectorale)? I am very interested in the Hoplo type catfishes and there are not many pictures of the rare species in the internet with the correct names.

Btw. Can you confirm that my Hoplos are species Megalechis thoracata:


Phoxinus

[hoplo]

Hi Phoxinus,

Yes that's a Megalechis thoracata and it looks like a male.

Yes i will put some pictures of my hoplos on here for you, no problem.

Be back soon.

Vicky xx

[hoplo]

Here are some pictures of the Callichthys callichthys










I hope you like them.

Back soon with some of the Pectorale.

Vicky xx

[CoryWally]

Thanks for the pics Vikki. And thanks for keeping us all well suplied with 'hoplos' in Yorkshire.

I've got a big pair of callichthys (7" SL) which came from you, plus the picta - now 6 after getting another 2 at the Ryedale auction on Sunday.

My callichthys have gone through a 3 day spawning ritual but no significant bubble nest or eggs off them. I've moved them to a new tank with a big tub lid so hopefully some success soon.

Looking forward to more pics,
Mark.

[Phoxinus]

Hi

Thank you for the pictures! How old are the big ones?

Another question: What is the best way to know if a juvenile hoplo is a female/male?

Phoxinus

[Carp37]

I've got Callichthys callichthys, but I've NEVER seen them in shops. My Callichthys were sourced from a colleague from a local aquarist society, who also breeds a few others of the hoplo-type species and genera, including Megalechis picta. If you can find Callichthys they're definitely a great community fish for larger aqauaria.

Hi Stu & Mark,
Hi All,

Yes it is my hubby Andy and i (Vicky) that's breeding the hoplos, up here in South Yorkshire.

Yes Mark (CoryWally) they are our Megalechis picta.

Yes its us thats been flooding the auction and some shops in the North for the last 5 or so years with the different kinds of hoplos and they are all tank bred with lots of TLC.

Vicky xx

Hi Vicky- I didn't put your name in (I did nearly say you were a site member but thought better of it) as I didn't want you to get inundated with PMs/messages and wonder why! For anyone in the UK looking for Callichthyine fish, I can definitely recommend Vicky's and Andy's fish- the Callichthys I got from them are top-class.

[hoplo]

Thanks for the pics Vikki. And thanks for keeping us all well suplied with 'hoplos' in Yorkshire.

I've got a big pair of callichthys (7" SL) which came from you, plus the picta - now 6 after getting another 2 at the Ryedale auction on Sunday.

My callichthys have gone through a 3 day spawning ritual but no significant bubble nest or eggs off them. I've moved them to a new tank with a big tub lid so hopefully some success soon.

Looking forward to more pics,
Mark.

You are very welcome.

Well i think your Callichthys may have out grown their parents, well done.

The Picta are so cute, i think they look better than the Thoracatum

Our Callichthys have just spawned again. On 5-5-08 Andy put the lid in the tank and this morning (7-5-08) we have eggs.

I have no idea what sets them off, all we did was a water change and gave them some live blood worm for a few days then put the lid in.

Good look with yours Mark.

Vicky xx

[hoplo]

Hi

Thank you for the pictures! How old are the big ones?

Another question: What is the best way to know if a juvenile hoplo is a female/male?

Phoxinus

You are very welcome.

I am not sure how old they are, we got them as adults, we have had them for about 2-3 years i think.

You have wait until they start to sex out, the males pectoral fins (the boney part) start to get thicker and can turn an brown/orange colour.

Vicky xx

[hoplo]

Hi Vicky- I didn't put your name in (I did nearly say you were a site member but thought better of it) as I didn't want you to get inundated with PMs/messages and wonder why! For anyone in the UK looking for Callichthyine fish, I can definitely recommend Vicky's and Andy's fish- the Callichthys I got from them are top-class.

Aaawwww thanks Stu, that's very nice, very very nice of you to say that.

[Bas Pels]

the main problem is, however, those of us not in the UK

I whish I knew a similar address on the North-West of the continent

[Phoxinus]

Vicky: Would you be able to post some pictures of your Lepthoplosternum here?:)

Phoxinus

[hoplo]

Hi Phoxinus

Sorry for the delay, i have not been well.

This is a picture of of the male we breed with, he has a bubble nest.


I will try to get some more pictures of them tonight.

Vicky. xx

[Phoxinus]

I have a pair of eight year old Megalechis personata. They spawned last time in Autumn 2004. I have added a lid to the tank one month ago. I expected it to inspire them to spawn.

However the hoplos are just sitting under the lid. The female seems to be ready to spawn, but the male doesn't build the bubble nest. I have tried big water changes, temperature raisings and feeding with the live food, but nothing seems to help. Are they just too old to spawn or what do you think is the problem?

The aquarium is 240 liters and the other fishes are 10-15 Ancistrus sp., 30-35 Barbus ticto, four Nannacara anomala, three Corydoras sterbai and two Corydoras caudimaculatus. PH 6, temperature 26 Celcius.