Mike’s Fish Tank – Striped Raphael Catfish

The striped raphael catfish is a very interesting fish and I usually have them in stock. This peaceful, nocturnal species is a popular aquarium fish due to its pleasant temperament and curious nature.  It may also be called Southern striped Raphael, talking catfish, chocolate catfish or  thorny catfish. These fish burrow in the soft river bottoms and frequently occurs on sandy bottoms. These fish feed on mollusks, crustaceans and organic debris. They have rigid pectoral fin spines. The striped Raphael catfish also has tiny and curved protective spines running along  its body. The striped Raphael catfish can grow up to 7.9 inches. The striped Raphael catfish is a fine and sociable community fish that are peaceful to fellow catfishes and other fish species. However, they are nocturnal, and are usually not visible during the day. It is best not to  catch the striped Raphael catfish with a fish net because they are prone to sticking out their pectoral fin spines in a very rigid manner,  especially if stressed. Untangling these spines from a net is difficult and dangerous to both handler and fish. Alternative methods should be used. I always use a brine shrimp net because the net has very fine holes and the fish does not get caught as easily as a regular fish net with bigger holes. The Raphael catfish will make some grunting/squeaking noises while out of water. This is why they are called a talking catfish  sometimes. There is a fish called a spotted raphael cat and looks very similar except it is black with white spots instead of white with brown spots. We have some very small striped raphael catfish in stock now.

Pets A Plenty is located on Rte 281 Cortland, across from Tops Market in the TJ Nails Plaza. 753-9213. Open 7 days a week. We now have a website. www.petsaplety.biz. check it out. I post care sheets, coupons, new animal arrivals, contests and more. Any questions, email me at friskyy@hotmail.com

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