Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Twig Catfish
Farlowella spp.
Also called Farlowella, Mailed catfish
From South America: the Amazon, Orinoco and Parana river systems and coastal rivers of the Guiana Shield.1
A friendly guide, not veterinary advice. For anything about your pet's health, ask your vet.
At a glance the quick version
Farlowella vittata, the most commonly kept species, reaches 15 cm standard length.
Farlowella vittata is believed to live up to about 15 years.
Looks how to spot one
Bony-plated suckermouth catfish
An extremely thin, elongated catfish that looks like a stick of wood, with a long pointed snout. Its brown body carries two dark stripes running from the snout tip over the eyes to the tail.12
Personality what they are like
Very peaceful and retiring. Males can stake out a spot but rarely bother anyone.2
Daily activity how busy a day looks
A slow grazer that clings to plant leaves, wood, rocks and glass for long periods.2
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
For F. vittata Seriously Fish lists 24-27 C, pH 6.0-7.0 and 3-10 dGH. It suits a calm, mature tank with established algae growth, gentle companions and steady water quality.2
Home where they are happiest
Minimum around 90 x 30 x 30 cm (about 81 litres) with wood, plants and surfaces that grow algae.2
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Mainly vegetarian: diatoms and green algae, plus fresh vegetables such as cucumber, kale and blanched spinach and algae wafers or spirulina tablets.21
Company who they like around
Peaceful with small characins, danios and other gentle loricariids; best kept away from boisterous fish.2
The story where it all began
The genus is named after William Gilson Farlow, a Harvard botanist known for studying algae, the favourite food of these fish. Only a couple of its roughly 30 species are regularly exported for aquariums.12
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Its genus honours a botanist who studied algae, which is fitting for an algae eater.1
- 2
Females usually lay eggs on a vertical surface, often the aquarium glass.2
- 3
The male stays with the eggs and fans them until they hatch in about 6-10 days.2
- 4
It is so thin that it really does pass for a twig among branches and roots.1
Recognised by the official bits
- Taxonomy
- Genus Farlowella, family Loricariidae; about 33 valid species, sister group to Sturisoma1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Twig 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
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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 support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- Wikipedia: Farlowella en.wikipedia.orgused for distribution, species count, description, etymology
- Seriously Fish: Farlowella vittata seriouslyfish.comused for size, lifespan, water parameters, tank size, diet, temperament, breeding
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.