Thorny Catfish

About

The thorny catfish (Oxydoras niger) is a massive South American doradid that earns its common name from the row of sharp spines running along its lateral line. Not from any aggressive behavior. In temperament it is about as mellow as a fish this size can be, spending its time cruising along the bottom and filtering through mud for detritus, insect larvae, and small crustaceans. In the wild it ranges across the Amazon, São Francisco, and Essequibo basins, living over soft muddy substrates in rivers and lakes and forming schools with others of its kind. That schooling instinct is worth noting. This is not a solitary species by nature. In the aquarium it does best alongside other large, peaceful tankmates: big catfish, arowanas, pacu, silver dollars. Anything small enough to fit in that wide mouth is a potential meal, so choose companions carefully. The honest truth about keeping this fish is that even though juveniles are increasingly available and affordably priced, adult specimens push well past three feet and realistically belong in public aquaria rather than home tanks. Rehoming a fish of this size is genuinely difficult, so anyone tempted by a young specimen should think hard before committing. Breeding has not been accomplished in the hobby.