he
month of October 2015 brings us to the Doradidae family
and to a little known genera, namely Leptodoras.
This is not your usual hardy and bomb proof Dorad
that you don't see for months on end only to spot
it one night with a huge girth and a size to match,
no this genera usually known as mouse cats are a different
kettle of fish, so to speak.
Leptodoras
linnelli
This very pretty
and unusual species demands good water quality and
water flow throughout the aquarium. A sand substrate
with branches and rockwork as cover to make them feel
secure in their own surroundings. The overhead lighting
should not be too bright and a dark corner in the
tank would be a good idea for a retreat. A lower temperature
around the 18-22°C (64-72°F) mark as they
do not take kindly to long periods with high temperatures
as in their natural habitat they are found in deep
waters with low light.
Unlike some of
the more common Dorads the Mouse cats like their own
company, so if you can afford a large tank over 4ft,
three or four individuals is a good benchmark to aim
for.
Ostorbital length
37.641.8% of predorsal distance ..Leptodoras
linnelli
The most characteristic
feature of this species is the structure of the barbels
which readily distiguish Leptodoras from
similar genera, Opsodoras and Hassar.
Common
Name
Elongate
Mouse Catfish
Synonyms
Leptodoras
acipenserinus, Hemidoras linnelli
Family
Doradidae
Subfamily
Doradinae
Distribution
South America:Upper
Orinoco (rios Ventuari and Mavaca) and Casiquiare
River basin in Venezuela; Atlantic Coast drainages
of the Guianas and northern Brazil such as Essequibo,
Demerara and Araguari); the rios Uatumã, Tacutu
and Demini in Brazil.
Size
23.0cm. (9ins)
Temp.
18-22°C
(64-72°F)
p.H.
6.0-7.0
Characteristics
Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal
soft rays (total): 6; Anal soft rays: 12 - 16. Upper
labial extension very elongate, straight to weakly
curved medially and nearly uniform in width with a
bluntly rounded tip. Body moderately elongate and
slender with a single series of 38-39 bony plates
down each side of body. Snout fairly long and roughly
conical. The barbels form a complex structure. The
maxillary barbels divides into a short simple process
and a longer branched process. The two pairs of mental
barbels also have a short, fringed edge.
Colouration
Upper half of body light
brown/yellow, darkening dorsally. Lower half creamy
white. Two dusky bands in the caudal fin.
Aquarium
Care & Compatibility
Best kept in a group in a
tank of 48ins or over with a sand substrate, rock
and branchwork. Floating plants is a good addition
to cut down on the overhead light. Peaceful and
will do well alongside species
such as Geophagus Cichlids and other larger
Characins that will appreciate flowing water.
Reproduction
There are no documented
records.
Diet
Insect larvae,, frozen foods,
mosquito larvae and shrimp.
CAGB
magazine no. 41
January 1984. Froese, R. and D. Pauly.
Editors. 2008. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
www.fishbase.org, version (02/2009). Sabaj, M.H. and C.J. Ferraris
Jr., 2003. Doradidae (Thorny catfishes). p.
456-469. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris,
Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South
and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil.
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