If you are looking for an unpretentious and interesting catfish for your aquarium, be sure to take a look at the tarakatum. This fish is a real workhorse and one of the most popular catfish among aquarists around the world. And for good reason.
At first glance, the taracatum attracts attention with its unusual appearance. Its body is covered with strong bony plates, like a shell, and contrasting dark spots are scattered on its sides. This “camouflage” makes it look like the living bottom of a pond.
But its main value is its character. It is a peaceful and sociable neighbor that spends all day doing important work: exploring the ground in search of food. Thanks to this, it is not only pleasing to the eye, but also helps to keep the aquarium clean.
Let's take a closer look at this amazing fish, learn how to create comfortable conditions for it, and what to pay attention to when keeping it. You will quickly understand why the tarakatum deserves such love.
Classification, habitat, biotope
Taracatum is a freshwater catfish of the Hoplosternum family, one of two species of the Megalechis genus. Initially, this species belonged to the genus Hoplosternum. In 2005, the taracatum was transferred to the genus Megalechis, becoming Megalechis thoracata. The second species of the genus Megalechis is Megalechis picta.
The species is widespread in the central and northern regions of South America. Taracatum populations have been found in the Amazon, Orinoco, and Paraguay basins, as well as in the rivers of northern Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Trinidad, and Martinique.
Taracatum live in shallow rivers and streams with muddy bottoms and dense vegetation. They prefer dammed and swampy areas with slow currents or stagnant water. The catfish compensate for the lack of oxygen in the water by breathing through their intestines.
The taracatum's diet is based on animal food. In natural conditions, the catfish eats small fish and fry, insects and larvae, worms, small crustaceans, and detritus.
Appearance, dimorphism
The average size of adult tarakatums is 12-14 cm. In a spacious aquarium with proper care, some individuals can grow up to 18 cm.
Taracatum has a body structure typical of catfish: elongated, stretched, compressed on the sides. The belly of the catfish is flat, the back is slightly curved upward. There are two rows of protective bone plates on the sides.
The color of tarakatums varies from light brown or yellowish-brown to dark brown or grayish-brown. The abdomen is always lighter than the back, sometimes beige in color. Small dark spots of irregular shape are scattered randomly throughout the body.
The taracatum's broad head is slightly flattened. Its color and pattern completely match the color of its body. There are two pairs of whiskers near its mouth. The upper whiskers are longer and serve for spatial orientation, while the lower ones are shorter and are used to explore the bottom.
Adult males are usually brighter and 1-2 cm smaller than females. The pectoral fins of the male are elongated and pointed, while those of the female are shortened and rounded. The first ray of the male's pectoral fin is thickened and elongated, colored red or orange-red.
Care. Aquarium and diet
In natural conditions, tarakatums live in large schools. Alone, without a partner or school, the tarakatum experiences stress, which negatively affects its behavior and health. In an aquarium, it is recommended to keep catfish in pairs (male and female) or in groups of 5-6 individuals.
The minimum volume for one adult Taracatum is 50 liters. For each additional catfish, at least 40 liters are required.
Taracatum easily adapt to different water parameters, but it is important for catfish that the parameters remain constant, without sudden and frequent changes. A weekly water change of 20-25% is recommended.
Acceptable water parameters for taracatum:
Equipment
The main focus should be on filtration. A powerful external filter is essential.
Otherwise, the list of equipment is standard:
Soil and plants
Taracatus actively dig in the substrate. Any sharp, unfinished edges can injure the catfish or damage their whiskers. For safety reasons, it is recommended to use only rounded substrate. It is essential to create shelters on the bottom using driftwood, stones, ceramics, and other decorations.
Taracatum plants are only needed as shelter. They are not interesting to catfish as food, but taracatum can accidentally damage the roots when digging in the ground. It is better to cover the roots of live plants with stones or place the plants in pots. You can green up your aquarium with artificial plants.
Live plants with a strong root system are suitable:
Floating plants will help shade certain areas of the bottom. You can use:
Feeding
Dry specialized catfish food is suitable as a basis: sinking tablets, granules, animal-based wafers.
Part of the diet should consist of live, fresh, or frozen food:
Breeding and reproduction
Taracatus become sexually mature at 8-10 months of age. Breeding can be carried out in a common aquarium, but the use of a spawning tank is preferable.
The ideal substrate is sandy soil with fine grass vegetation and scattered small twigs, stems, and leaves. The equipment needed includes a thermostat and a low-power sponge filter for weak filtration. You will also need floating plants or imitation leaves on the surface (a piece of foam or a light plastic cover).
The volume of the spawning aquarium is from 80 liters per pair. Recommended water parameters: temperature 25-27 °C, pH 6.5-7.0, hardness 6-10 GH.
Stimulation and nest preparation
Taracatum spawn in pairs. Spawning is stimulated by raising the temperature by 2-3 °C (not higher than 29 °C) and replacing 15-20% of the water every 1-2 days. It is best to start stimulation when the atmospheric pressure drops (taracatum, like most armadillos, is sensitive to pressure changes).
The male's first task is to build a nest in which the female will lay her eggs. The foam nest is built on the underside of a floating plant leaf or its imitation (a piece of foam or plastic lid).
The male releases mucous air bubbles, attaching them to the surface of the leaf and one bubble to another. Natural materials such as stems, twigs, and leaves are also used in the construction.
Eggs and fry
After mating games, which can last several days, the female sticks fertilized eggs to the inner surface of the nest. The number of eggs is 500-1000. The male's second task is to cover (seal) the nest and guard it until the larvae hatch. After spawning, it is better to remove the female to the main aquarium to be on the safe side — the male is aggressive at this time and does not let anyone near the nest.
The incubation period is 4-5 days.
After the larvae hatch, it is also best to return the male to the main aquarium.
After another 2-3 days, the larvae turn into fry and require feeding.
Vladimir Filimonov
Theater director from Tver, involved in underwater flora and fauna for over 50 years
It is recommended to feed the young with crushed artemia, infusoria, rotifers, and tubifex worms. Live dust and crushed specialized dry food for fry can also be used.
— Vladimir Filimonov Theater director from Tver, who has been studying underwater flora and fauna for over 50 years
Subspecies and varieties
Taracatum (Megalechis thoracata) has no subspecies. There is an artificially bred albino form of taracatum.
In aquarium keeping, two of the three species of the genus Hoplosternum are also often considered (and often referred to) as tarakatums (until 2005, the tarakatum itself also belonged to the genus Hoplosternum):
The second of the two species of the Megalechis genus, Megalechis picta, which is similar in appearance, is sometimes also called a taracatum, especially in English-language databases.
Finally, either they are confused, or they sincerely want to classify everyone as tarakatums, but 2 of the 2 species of the genus Dianema are also stubbornly classified as tarakatums:
Compatibility and coexistence
Taracatums are not aggressive and are well protected.
Catfish easily coexist with many similar species:
Be careful with bottom-dwelling territorial fish such as loaches and labeo. If there is not enough space or the bottom is not properly divided, clashes with tarakatums over living space are almost inevitable.
Large aggressive species (e.g., astronotus), despite the powerful shell of plecos, are dangerous for spotted catfish. Smaller species (e.g., neons) can irritate plecos.
— Alexander Tkachuk, marine biologist, expert in aquarium and terrarium keeping
More care tips:
Advice for owners
Plecos periodically rise to the surface and gulp air. It is necessary to leave part of the surface free of floating plants.- Do not create strong currents in the bottom area. Catfish will start to hide or look for other places, disturbing their neighbors in the process.
- Taracatus do not like bright light. The ideal lighting is a medium-power LED lamp with a color temperature of 5500-6500 K.
The taracatum is a large armored catfish, easily recognizable by its dark body with many light spots, as if it were wearing camouflage. It lives in the fresh waters of South America, especially in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. This catfish is unhurried, likes to hide among snags and sunken trees, and its camouflage helps it greatly in this — it almost blends in with the debris on the bottom. The taracatum is omnivorous: it eats vegetation, small fish, and even carrion. Despite its size — it can grow up to half a meter — it is calm and often lives in large aquariums, but there it needs a lot of space and shelter, just like in the wild.
Video review of the Taracatum
As you can see, the taracatum is not just another catfish for the aquarium. Its armored sides, vitality, and expressive spotted coloration make it a real character in the underwater world. It is interesting to watch, especially when it is busy doing its job — exploring the bottom in search of food.
This is a surprisingly peaceful and hardy fish that can be an excellent neighbor for many other species. It does not require any supernatural conditions, and its size and behavior make it a noticeable and memorable inhabitant.
If you are looking for an unpretentious, interesting, and beautiful catfish that will liven up the lower layers of your aquarium, the taracatum is an excellent choice. It will bring a bit of wild nature and a lot of curiosity to your underwater world.
