White-seam bristlenose catfish

The white-seam bristlenose is a South American loricariid catfish from the Amazon basin, typically found in shaded, wood-rich stretches of soft, slightly acidic water. Dark-bodied with fine pale spots and a bright white margin along the dorsal and tail fins, it grows to around 14 cm. Mature males bear the branched fleshy tentacles on the snout that give bristlenoses their name. It is a peaceful, nocturnal bottom-dweller well suited to community tanks of at least 120 litres, provided driftwood is present, as the fish rasps wood to aid digestion. Keep it at 23-28C, pH 5.5-7.5 and soft to moderately soft water. Chiefly a grazing omnivore, it eats aufwuchs and algae but needs supplementary vegetables such as courgette plus sinking pellets. Hardy and undemanding, it is ideal for beginners.