Shortfin Tandan

About

The Shortfin Tandan (Neosilurus brevidorsalis) is a small catfish native to northern Australia and central-southern New Guinea, where it turns up in a surprisingly wide range of freshwater environments. In the wild you might find it nosing along the bottom of a clear, flowing stream one day and lurking in a murky flooded lagoon or billabong the next. That kind of adaptability is a good sign for aquarium keeping. It feeds naturally on insects, small crustaceans like prawns and crayfish, and mollusks, so a meaty diet will keep it happy in captivity. The "shortfin" part of the name refers to the notably reduced dorsal fin, which is one of the quicker ways to tell it apart from related tandan catfish. It stays modest in size for a catfish, topping out somewhere in the six-to-eight-inch range, and the beginner-friendly care rating suggests it isn't particularly demanding once settled in. Like most bottom-oriented catfish, it will appreciate some cover. Rocks, driftwood, or caves where it can retreat during the day. Not a lot of hobbyist literature exists on this species specifically, but its wild habitat preferences point toward a hardy, unfussy fish that rewards a straightforward setup.