Blue-eyed Catfish

About

Known by the vernacular names blue-eyed catfish and Hancock's doradid, Amblydoras nauticus is a small doradid catfish from the upper Amazon basin that makes an ideal starting point for anyone curious about the catfish group. It's tolerant of a broad range of water conditions and has a peaceful disposition, though tankmates should be at least medium-sized since very small fish may end up as a snack. South American biotope setups work beautifully, pairing it with medium tetras, peaceful cichlids, Corydoras, or other doradids. It genuinely seems to prefer its own company, so keeping a group of three or more brings out more natural behavior. The biggest catch with this species is its stubborn nocturnalism. You may rarely glimpse it during the day at all. One clever workaround is a red-spectrum night light, since these fish cannot perceive red wavelengths and will forage openly under it as if it were dark. Like other talking catfishes, it can produce audible sounds by grinding its pectoral spines against their sockets or by vibrating the swim bladder using a specialized muscle. Sounds clear enough to hear through the glass. Speaking of those spines, they lock firmly and can tangle in nets or deliver a painful puncture, so handle this fish with extra care. Breeding has not been accomplished in captivity, though wild individuals reportedly build bubble nests at the surface.