Spotted Talking Catfish 4cm

Spotted Talking Catfish

Spotted Talking Catfish or Spotted Raphael Catfish, are distinctive and fascinating freshwater fish species that are quickly becoming popular among aquarium enthusiasts. Spotted Talking Catfish only reach a maximum size of 15 cm, these oddball catfish are known for their unique appearance and relatively peaceful behaviour which makes them a great addition to community aquariums or even a species-only setting.

Spotted Talking Catfish are basically bony tanks of fish that look like they have armour plating. These fish do fall under the banner of armoured catfish because of how their bones and skeletal structure make the fish look like they are wearing armour, this also makes them a species that can avoid predation really well. Like pretty much all catfish, the Spotted Talking Catfish lacks scales and essentially has tight-fitting skin, and, on these fish, the colouration is particularly striking. The Spotted Talking Catfish is jet black in colour with loose white spots from end to tail. What’s great is that the colours don’t fade or change as these fish mature. When lifted out of the water these fish make a squeaking or grunting noise by flexing their pectoral fins which are why they are often called talking catfish.

Breeding Spotted Talking Catfish is something that has not been observed naturally occurring yet in captivity yet, any captive bred specimens have almost always been spawned through the use of hormones. Even in the wild, the exact breeding behaviour of these fish is a mystery with some reports saying they are a cave or rock spawner like cichlids and others suggesting that they may spawn in the roots of floating plants. Trying to breed these fish naturally in captivity would be an incredibly fun and potentially rewarding experience.

Tank Recommendations for your Spotted Talking Catfish

The Spotted Talking Catfish only reaches around 15 cm and is an incredibly hardy fish. The minimum aquarium volume for a single spotted talking catfish will be 100 litres, keeping these fish on a sand substrate with an assortment of caves, driftwood, and plants will really make them comfortable in the aquarium. By providing this shy fish with a range of hiding places it allows the fish to feel secure and spend more time out and about. Since these are tropical fish, it is best to keep them in a temperature range between 24 - 28 degrees with a PH range of 6.5 - 7.5.

Suitable Tank Buddies

Raphael Catfish is an incredibly peaceful fish that is fine with basically all community fish aside from incredibly small or slow fish that could be eaten. Because of their size and pretty much inconspicuous nature, they can also be added into aquariums with larger tank mates however it is best to avoid any incredibly aggressive fish.

Usually Compatible

Geophagus, Giant Danios, Severum, Angelfish, Ghost Knife Fish, and other peaceful but large fish.

Sometime Compatible

Smaller Tetras like Embers, Cardinals, and livebearers like guppies which are small enough to potentially be predated upon.

Rarely Compatible

Oscars, Jaguar cichlids, and other aggressive fish species may show excessive aggression towards the Spotted Talking Catfish.

Feeding your Spotted Talking Catfish

The Spotted Talking Catfish should be a fairly easy species to feed, they will take to a wide range of aquarium foods but due to their bottom-welling nature it would be best to feed them sinking pellets. This can be complemented with black worms, frozen bloodworms, and similar live or frozen foods. Feeding can be done at any time of the day and these fish should eat however, if they are very shy it may be better to do so as the lights go out on the aquarium.