Fun Flagtail Catfish Facts For Kids
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The flagtail catfish is a freshwater fish native to the Amazon River basin in Brazil, South America. They require warm water temperature with a maximum of 82 F (27.7 C) and pH between 6.0-8.0.
The average flagtail catfish size is up to 4.9 in (12.5 cm) in length who adapts well in tanks under an improvised water temperature. They are peaceful by nature and prefer group life over solitude, mostly dominating the bottom parts of the tanks.
They have an omnivorous diet and feed on a variety of food like frozen larvae, small crustaceans, plants, and quality flakes.
The medium-size flagtails live longer, with a maximum of 10 years, when kept in aquariums than in their natural habitat. At present, these fish are not at risk but early conservation from fish hobbyists can stabilize their future population size.
Intrigued about knowing more about the flagtail catfish? Read on for more interesting facts about these unique fish species of Brazil.
For more relatable content, check out these channel catfish facts and rainbow trout facts for kids.
Flagtail Catfish Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a flagtail catfish?
Dianema urostriatum (flagtail catfish) is a popular freshwater medium-sized fish species that are suited to living both in rivers and aquariums under ideal habitat conditions.
What class of animal does a flagtail catfish belong to?
The flagtail catfish belongs to the class of Actinopterygii. They are characterized by their bony ray fins on either side of their bodies. The species are a part of the Corydoras family.
How many flagtail catfish are there in the world?
At present, the exact number of flagtail catfish has not been evaluated. But it can be ascertained that this fish species is found in plentiful numbers in their habitat range and also in domestic fish tanks.
Where does a flagtail catfish live?
The flagtail catfish (Dianema urostriatum) has its origin in the warm waters of the Amazon River basin in South America. They are also kept as pets in tanks and home aquariums.
What is a flagtail catfish's habitat?
The flagtail catfish dwells in the shallow waters of the creeks, lakes, and rivers near the sandy substrate. They flourish well under warm temperature conditions that range from 77-82 F (25-28 C).
The ideal water pH required for their survival and breeding is between pH 6.0-8.0. These fish species adapt well in an artificial tank or aquarium with warm water and artificial plants.
Who do flagtail catfish live with?
In the open river waters having larger space, the flagtail port catfish are comfortable living solitary and in groups. But in an aquarium, it mostly prefers staying alone or with a smaller non-aggressive fish.
How long does a flagtail catfish live?
The average life span of a flagtail catfish (Dianema urostriatum) extends up to 10 years in aquariums. While in their natural habitat range, their lifespan shrinks because of predatory attacks.
How do they reproduce?
The males fertilize a maximum of three to four eggs on the pelvis of the females for about 30 seconds. After this female corydoras search for a shady vegetated location beneath which they attach the extremely sticky eggs.
The compatibility between a male and female catfish stays strong until 100 eggs have been laid during the time of breeding. They spawn in the upstream section in the open water conditions of the rivers.
What is their conservation status?
At present, the flagtail catfish (Dianema urostriatum) is not listed by the IUCN. Although this means that the community of this fish species is not under threat, problems like increasing river water salinity and turbidity may pose a survival threat.
Flagtail Catfish Fun Facts
What do flagtail catfish look like?
We've been unable to source an image of a flagtail catfish and have used an image of a red tail catfish instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a flagtail catfish, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.Flagtail catfish are a medium-sized fish species. They have a slender and flat silver-colored body covered with black and white spots near their back fin. The fin near the stomach has a bright reddish-orange hue while alternating white, orange, and black stripes cover their entire dorsal and caudal fins. The dorsal fins stand almost erect pointing in one direction.
How cute are they?
Flagtail catfish are found to be pretty cute by fish hobbyists because of their mild temperament and easy nature. Lookswise, they have a cute appearance, with their remarkably slender body, striped-colored fins, and cute rolling eyes.
How do they communicate?
The flagtail catfish (Dianema urostriatum) is a peace-loving and sociable fish species. They survive well in the middle and bottom portion of a medium-size tank.
However, they often behave aggressively when in search of food inside an aquarium. They compete with other tank-dwellers for frozen foods and flakes. They prefer staying together in a community of their own in the open water of the Amazonian rivers.
How big is a flagtail catfish?
The flagtail porthole catfish size is up to 5 in (12.5 cm) long, having a slender body. They are 20 times smaller in length than a blue catfish of the Mississippi River.
How fast can a flagtail catfish swim?
The exact moving speed of the flagtail catfish in waters of the Amazon river basin is not known. However, they are medium-paced swimmers as seen from their movement in an aquarium, tank, etc.
How much does a flagtail catfish weigh?
The weight of this fish species is not yet ascertained. But its weight is almost comparable to that of a Cory catfish, which is a similar catfish native to South America.
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no sex-specific names assigned to the males or females of this fish species.
What would you call a baby flagtail catfish?
A baby flagtail catfish doesn't have any specific name given to it.
What do they eat?
Flagtail catfish have an omnivorous diet. In the large open waters, they search for small crustaceans like brine shrimps, blood worms, mosquito larvae, and some aquatic plants to feed on. In an aquarium, they feed on sinking frozen foods like mosquito larvae, chopped krill, brine shrimps, and earthworms.
Are they dangerous?
The flagtail porthole catfish (Dianema urostriatum) is a very sociable and peaceful medium-sized tank and aquarium-appropriate fish species. They are not dangerous to humans, neither do they cause harm to other pet aquarium fish. However, they may often release mild toxic secretions which can cause mild irritation on human skin.
Would they make a good pet?
The flagtail catfish makes an extremely good fish to be kept in tanks. Having a sociable and peaceful nature, they coexist well in groups forming a community.
For the flagtail porthole catfish care, an ideal artificial aquarium habitat must have warm water with a pH range within 6.0-8.0. The tank bottom should have a variety of small plants offering shade. The flagtail catfish care is mostly hassle-free but they may have to be trained to become adapted to feed in the daylight.
Their daily diet should have a timely supply of sufficient frozen foods, quality flakes, and related foods. There should also be plenty of space in between the shady aquarium substrate for them to swim freely.
Did you know...
Females are taller in length and broader near the pectoral fins than males. The broad pelvis facilitates the breeding of eggs.
Catfish (Dianema urostriatum) favor dim lighting in an aquarium as they are a nocturnal fish species.
The tails of these fishes are sharp and hard enough to pierce through human fingers.
They have the ability to tilt their eyes which is mistaken for blinking.
They can breathe through their intestines too. So it's advisable to keep some open space between the aquarium lid and water level for respiration.
What's unique about flagtail catfish?
Flagtail catfish belong to the Callichthyidae family have their origin in Brazil, South America. They keep a peaceful and sociable temperament in their group life around their fellow tankmates until the time of feeding.
Unlike other fish species who try to take over the upper and middle portion of the tank water, the flagtails prefer the shady vegetated and sandy substrate at the bottom.
How did flagtail catfish get their name?
The flagtail catfish got its name from the upright orange-black-striped tail that stays hoisted like a flag under the water. They are called catfish because of the presence of barbels on each side of their snout.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish from our African lungfish facts and channel catfish facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable quillfish coloring pages.
Second image by Harum Koh.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.
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