Not furry, but we like them anyway.

Spotted Raphael Catfish

Agamyxis pectinifrons (Cope, 1870)

Also called Spotted talking catfish, Whitebarred catfish

SpeciesShort profile

From South America: the Amazon basin in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru.1 2

At a glance the quick version

Length15 cm2 1

Sizesmall

Clicks loud enough to hear outside the tank

Hardy and beginner friendly

Peaceful community catfish

1 3

Looks how to spot one

Armoured thorny catfish

A compact, dark catfish covered in light spots and bars, with a row of thorn-like plates on its sides and strong fin spines.3 1

Coloursdark basewhite to pale or dark yellow spots and bars3

Personality what they are like

Easygoing and non-aggressive; hides by day and becomes active at dusk.3 1

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Quiet by day, foraging over the bottom at night.3

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Give dim light, soft sand and lots of cover. Move it by hand or with a container, since its spines catch in nets.1 3

Home where they are happiest

Tropical water of about 20 to 26 C, pH 5.5 to 7.5 and hardness up to about 20 dGH, in a tank with a base of at least 120 x 30 cm.2 3

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Omnivorous bottom feeder: good sinking pellets or tablets plus regular bloodworm and the odd earthworm.3 2

Company who they like around

Social and more natural in groups of four or more, though it can live alone; fine with peaceful Amazon fish too big to swallow.3

The story where it all began

Edward Drinker Cope described the species in 1870. It remains a popular, hardy catfish in the aquarium hobby.2 1

Fun facts for the dinner table

1
It is one of the few fish whose clicks you can hear from outside the aquarium.1
2
The sounds come from rubbing its fin spines, a trick shared by its thorny catfish relatives.3
3
The placement of its pale markings differs from fish to fish.3
4
It is described as relatively long-lived for its size.3

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 20 July 2020)2
Taxonomy: Described by Cope in 18702
Family: Doradidae (thorny catfishes), subfamily Astrodoradinae2

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Spotted Raphael Catfish. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
Temperature checkevery day
Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
Water testevery week
Glass cleanevery week
Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month

Start a free diary

Striped Raphael Catfish

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Where this comes from

Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

Wikipedia: Agamyxis pectinifrons en.wikipedia.orgused for names, distribution, sound, handling
FishBase: Agamyxis pectinifrons fishbase.seused for distribution, size, water parameters, IUCN, family
Seriously Fish: Agamyxis pectinifrons seriouslyfish.comused for tank size, water parameters, diet, behaviour, colour

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.