Ossancora punctata
(Kner, 1853)
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an sometimes be seen, and sold as Opsodoras
stuebelii, which has a
longer snout and lacks the body spots and also grows larger. It
has been misidentified, especially in the mid 1980s in the hobby
when catfish were just beginning to get a fan base in the U. K.
It is also very like Ossancora
eigenmanni
which has a spotted caudal fin against O. punctata
which has dark stripes.
Was known until recently (2011) as Doras punctatus
until a new paper by Birindelli, JLO and MH Sabaj Pérez
(2011) asigned a new genera, Ossancora to this species.
Ossancora was proposed to include three previously
named species O.eigenmanni,
O. fimbriata plus one new species in O. asterophysa.
The four species are distinguished from each other by the branching
on the maxillary and mandibular barbels, the morphologies of
the swimbladder and bony plates in front of the dorsal fin,
and the number of teeth on the upper and lower jaws.
This genus along with Agamyxis
and Acanthodoras can create a sound by grating its
fin bones in each socket and amplifying the noise via the swim
bladder. The image below shows the extent of its barbels and
why it gots its common name of the "Feather Barbels Catfish",
In fact the mandibular barbels put you in mind of the African
catfish genus, Synodontis.
This is a catfish that is mainly
easy to maintain and is very active but good water quality is
important i.e. keeping up water changes, as it will rarely thrive
in poor water conditions. A sand substrate with a mixture of
driftwood and plants will make this species feel secure in its
suroundings. The aquarium lighting should not be too bright.
The head is longer than the width with the
characteristic small mid-lateral scutes of this genus, along the
sides of the body. Three
pair of barbels with the maxillary barbels long and feathered.
The bone coracoides is exposed and forms a
closed arc, and has the same length than the humeral process (processo
post-cleitral). The Process post cleitral has a rectangular form
and the lateral shields covers between 1/3 and 1/5 on the surface
of the flanks.
Brown body with scattered small black spots.
Irregular spots in the
dorsal fin and the belly is
white overall. Depending on the colour
of the substate they will apear to be either
a dark or a lighter brown.
Very peaceful addition to a community aquarium.
This is another doradid that prefers safety in numbers assuming
that you can purchase them. Recommended that you keep at least
4 specimens together.
Not recorded.
| Sexual
differences |
Females are slightly larger
than males.
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| Feeding |
Finely shredded shrimp and bloodworm. Tablet
and flake foods.
| References |
Sabaj, M.H.
and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. 2003 Doradidae (Thorny catfishes).
p. 456-469. In: R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris,
Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and
Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil.
Sands, David;
Back to Nature Guide to Catfishes.
1996. p. 60-61. 128 p.
ScotCat
Article: The Family Doradidae or "Talking Catfishes"
Conservación Internacional; seris
de Guías Tropicales De Campo. Pecos del medio Amazonas
Región de Leticia. 546 p.
Birindelli, JLO and MH Sabaj Pérez (2011)
Ossancora, new genus of thorny catfish (Teleostei: Siluriformes:
Doradidae) with description of one new species. Proceedings
of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 161,
pp. 117–152.
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| Etymology |
Ossancora:
Meaning "bony
anchor" which refers to their distinctive pectoral-fin
spine and shoulder girdle.
punctata:
From the Latin punctatus = 'spotted'.
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Top picture: © 
Bottom Picture: © Yann
Fulliquet
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