Coral Catfish

The colour of the Coral Catfish changes as the fish matures. The young juveniles are entirely black. As they mature, the body becomes brown and yellow or white horizontal stripes appear. As an adult, the brightness of the colours fade.

In the wild, the Coral Catfish is found scavenging in the sand, so the aquarium should have a sandy bottom. It will dig in and out of the sand in search of food, so it is ideal to “sink” meaty foods to the tank bottom. It can accommodate salinity variations, but these should be kept to a minimum. The Coral Catfish is sensitive to copper-based medications.

Juvenile coral catfish form beautiful schools, and do not do well when separated. They may hide themselves and stop eating. Since they must be kept in groups and grow quite large as adults, they must be reserved for the largest home aquariums. As the Coral Cat matures, it begins to lose its schooling behavior.

The Coral Catfish should be kept with caution because its spines are venomous.