Any info on these?

wayneminot · Post by **wayneminot** » 19 Feb 2003, 03:20

Phraetobius sp. Anyone know if theyre ever available? I've heard they live right near the bottom of the river and will dig theyre way down to where the air and dirt reaches the water. Also they have a interesting color I think.

Post by **Silurus** » 19 Feb 2003, 03:26

They are rare as hen's teeth and have never been seen in the aquarium trade. Scientists can't even collect enough of these things for research (BTW, they are horribly difficult to find/collect).
They live on the leaf litter by the banks of streams. Seems that they don't like being in the water, preferring the thin film of moisture on leaves.
See the PC article on this fish.

wayneminot · Post by **wayneminot** » 19 Feb 2003, 03:39

I want one

theyre so intriging I wonder if they return to the water to breed?

Post by **Silurus** » 19 Feb 2003, 03:47

Yeah, there's plenty of catfish out there we can only dream about swimming around in our tanks.
Astroblepus, Scoloplax and Horaglanis (an Indian catfish that looks almost identical to Phreatobius), to name but a few.
Unfortunately, almost nothing is known about the biology of Phreatobius.