Twig catfish

The twig catfish is a slender, elongated South American loricariid catfish native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Its remarkably thin, brown, stick-like body and pointed snout provide superb camouflage among submerged branches and roots, from which it gets its common name. It is a peaceful, shy algae-grazer that spends its time clinging to surfaces and rasping biofilm and soft algae. It is essentially a herbivore, though it takes some detritus, and it can be difficult to keep well fed in a clean tank. Success depends on a mature aquarium with plenty of algae, driftwood for rasping and grazing, and supplemental feeding of blanched vegetables and algae wafers. It is sensitive to poor water quality and nitrate spikes, and needs gentle, well-oxygenated conditions. It suits calm community tanks with small, non-aggressive tankmates. Males develop bristles on the snout and guard the eggs after spawning on a firm surface.