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Yann Fulliquet (3) Ivor Hilton (1) Kiruya Momochi (1)

Tatia strigata is the only species of the genus with a completely striped colour pattern, bearing whitish elongate longitudinal irregular stripes along lateral sides of body. Description: A unique arrangement of adult male modified anal fin is present, with the second unbranched anal-fin ray with anterior enlarged segments and a notch formed by the reduction of the second and third branched rays (Soares-Porto, 1995). It is also distinguished from all congeners by a combination of characteristics: four branched pectoral-fin rays; 7 ribs; 29-30 vertebrae; and mature males with upper caudal-fin lobe slightly elongated, same length in females. Habitat: Tatia strigata is recorded from central Amazon basin, Negro river and Casiquiare Channel and is sympatric with T. dunni in the Casiquiare Channel and Negro river. Aquarium Care: As with most members of this family they are very secretive and will stay hidden for most of  the day. Dim lighting will see them come out for food which they eat with gutso. Will have no problem with most co-habitants but will eat small fish/fry in the aquarium. Diet: In its native habitat they feed on small invertebrates and crustaceans and in the aquarium they will eat anything given such as frozen bloodworm inserted in to their hideaway, catfish tablets, white worm (sparingly) and prawns and shrimp. They do like their food and you can see them shooting out of their hideouts and swimming in a frenzied manner to try and take all for themselves, especially when you feed them their favourite food, frozen bloodworm. Etymology: The specific epithet strigata, meaning striped.

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Auchenipteridae

South America: Amazon River basin and upper reaches of the Orinoco River. Type locality: Brazil, Amazonas, Municipio de Maués, Igarapé Limãozinho.

12.0cm. (4¾ins)

22-25°c (71-77°f.)

6.0-7.0.

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Sarmento-Soares, Luisa Maria; Martins-Pinheiro, Ronaldo Fernando A systematic revision of  Tatia (Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae: Centromochlinae) Neotropical Ichthyology, 6(3):495- 542, 2008.
ScotCat Factsheet no. 48. June 2000.