Marble Sturisoma Whiptail Catfish (Sturisoma aureum)
The Marble Sturisoma is a very peaceful and non-territorial fish that will happily cohabit with other fish that won't fight for food and grazing areas, making them suitable for a well-established community aquarium.
These Catfish are quite shy and nervous and should not be kept with boisterous fish or fish that may nip fins. They do not swim; instead, they tend to 'walk' on their fins. Sometimes they will glide gracefully from the side of the tank to the substrate. They also prefer well filtered clean water.
The Marble Sturisoma is an elongated slender Catfish with a pointed head and skinny tail with a long trailing fin extension from the upper caudal lobe.
These fish have a mottled brown and creamy yellow colouration with black horizontal markings behind the first dorsal ray that are speckled. This Catfish is one of the smallest Whiptail Catfish.
Photos
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Sturisoma aureum |
| Other Names | Golden Sturgeon Catfish, Giant Whiptail |
| Classification | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Siluriformes |
| Family | Loricariidae |
| Genus | Sturisoma |
| Origins | Colombia |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Bottom - Middle |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Shoaling | No |
| Best kept as | Pairs |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Layer |
| Lifespan | 5 - 8 years |
| Water Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| PH | 6.0 - 7.5 |
| GH | 5 - 20 |
| Temperature | |
|---|---|
| 68 - 79℉ 20 - 26.1℃ | |
Feeding
In the home aquarium, the Marble Sturisoma Whiptail Catfish will readily accept most good quality dried foods such as granules, flakes and sinking pellets. These modern food products have been developed to provide all adequate nutrition to maintain your fish's health and dietary requirements.
Providing additional foodstuffs such as live, frozen, and freeze-dried meals such as bloodworm, daphnia, and tubifex once or twice a week will provide additional benefits to your fish's health and well-being but is not a must for this fish.
It should be noted that bloodworms should only be given as an occasional treat and should not be used as the staple diet as they are difficult for fish to digest and can potentially cause blockages.
This fish is an omnivore in the wild, meaning it will consume some vegetable matter. Although most modern fish foods take this into account and include them in their products, you can still supplement your fish's diet with blanched vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and zucchini. Ensure you do not overfeed your fish and remove any leftovers the following day.
Sexual Dimorphism
It is somewhat tricky to differentiate female from male Marble Sturisoma. However, males tend to have longer, more developed filaments on their tails and will grow odontodes along the snout and head sides, whereas the females usually have slightly fuller bodies. Still, this trait can be subtle and not a reliable means to distinguish between them.