Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Whiptail Catfish
Rineloricaria spp. Bleeker, 1862
Also called Mailed catfish, Lizard catfish (red form)
From Southern Central America and much of South America, from Costa Rica to Argentina on both sides of the Andes.1
At a glance the quick version
Genus average about 13 cm (Wikipedia); R. lanceolata reaches 9.5 cm SL and the red form 11 cm (Seriously Fish).
Looks how to spot one
Bony-plated suckermouth catfish
Long and slim with an armour of bony plates, a narrow face, an upright dorsal fin and an extremely thin tail stalk that ends in a whip-like tail. It has a sucker-style mouth and no visible barbels. Males grow extra bristles on the head and fins.1
Personality what they are like
Counted among the most peaceful catfish in the hobby. It is shy with pushy tankmates and calmly rests on sand or wood.23
Daily activity how busy a day looks
A slow, mostly sedentary bottom dweller that browses over sand, wood and plants.21
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Seriously Fish lists 25-28 C, pH 6.0-8.0 and 5-20 dGH for R. lanceolata, and 24-29 C, pH 6.0-7.5 and 2-15 dGH for the red form. Provide sandy or fine substrate and caves or tubes, and make sure sinking food reaches it before faster fish take it.23
Home where they are happiest
Lives in rivers, streams and lagoons over sand or rock and is adaptable to a wide range of temperatures. A pair can live in about 45 cm of tank; a small group needs about 75 x 30 x 30 cm.123
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Eats biofilm and small crustaceans in the wild; in aquariums it takes sinking dried foods, vegetables such as spinach and courgette, and frozen or live bloodworm and daphnia.23
Company who they like around
Happy in pairs or small groups, sharing well with small characins, dwarf cichlids and corydoras.23
The story where it all began
Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker set up the genus in 1862, with Loricaria lima as its type species. New species are still being described, and the genus now holds more than 100.1
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Males clean out a cave, and after the female lays, the male alone guards and fans the eggs until they hatch in about 4-5 days.2
- 2
The eggs, often more than 100, are laid stuck together in a single layer on the cave floor.1
- 3
Species in this genus show a remarkable range of chromosome numbers, from 36 to 70.1
- 4
The red lizard catfish's exact origin is unclear: it may be a wild form, a selectively bred line or a hybrid.3
Recognised by the official bits
- Taxonomy
- Genus Rineloricaria, family Loricariidae, established by Pieter Bleeker in 1862; over 100 species1
- DATZ L-number
- Red lizard catfish form traded as L010a3
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Whiptail 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: Rineloricaria en.wikipedia.orgused for distribution, description, size, breeding, taxonomy, history
- Seriously Fish: Rineloricaria lanceolata seriouslyfish.comused for water parameters, tank size, diet, temperament, breeding
- Seriously Fish: Rineloricaria sp. (red lizard, L010a) seriouslyfish.comused for red form, water parameters, diet, size
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.