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Allan James (2) Ben Lee (1) Johnny Jensen's Photographic Library (2) Haakon Haagensen (2)

Aquarium Care: So good they named it twice! well I don't think so as this is one of the most aggressive catfish around in the hobby and definitely not suited to your average community tank, although It is certainly very striking looking in its all-black livery. There is another type which has a more brown body colouration and may turn out to be a separate species. Not to be trusted when growing into adulthood as it will quickly kill any smaller inhabitants of the tank. May be able to keep with large Cichlids but basically a fish to keep on its own. Sexual Differences: Adult males possess a thickening of their anal fins akin to the anal fins of the males of the Goodiae family of livebearers. The females genital pore is enlarged and recessed into her abdomen. Diet: A predator but will accept worm foods, frozen shrimp and bloodworm, chunks of frozen fish, tablet and pellet foods. Etymology: The genus name Trachycorystes: tautonymous with Auchenipterus trachycorystes, trachys, rough; corystes, helmeted, referring to rugose cranial shield. The specific name trachycorystes: trachys, rough; corystes, helmeted, referring to rugose cranial shield.

Black Driftwood Catfish

Auchenipterus trachycorystes, Trachycorystes typus

Auchenipteridae

South America: Amazon River basin, Essequibo River basin, Guyana, and Orinoco River basin, Venezuela. Type locality: Brazil.

35.0cm. (14ins)

23-27°c (73-81°f.)

6.5-7.0.

Burgess, W.E. 1989 An atlas of freshwater and marine catfishes. A preliminary survey of the Siluriformes. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., Neptune City, New Jersey (USA). 784 p.
Ferraris, Dr. C.J. Jr., Catfish in the Aquarium. An introduction to Catfish Keeping and the Diversity of Catfish Forms and Behavior. Tetra Press Publication. 199 p.
ScotCat Factsheet no. 156. June 2009.
Watkins, Graham; Saul Bill; Holm, Erling; Watson, Cynthia; Arjoon, Deokie; Bicknell Jake and the North Rupununi District Development Board. The Fish Fauna of the Iwokrama Forest. 32 p.