Helogenes marmoratus

Dwarf Wood Cat

Helogenes marmoratus is a species of whale catfish belonging to the family of Cetopsidae. It has a colour pattern that resembles dead leaves. The fish may even lie on its side among the leaf litter as a form of camouflage. It can easily be mistaken as a piece of dead wood when it rests on its side, motionless on the bottom.

Distribution: Atlantic drainages of Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, upper Río Orinoco and Río Negro systems in Venezuela, Amazonas Basin in Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador; Orinoco, Upper Orinoco; Amazon, Middle Amazon (Solimoes), Rio Negro.

Submitted by: Benedetta Spelta

GPS: 0.2393390, -63.0959396

Geographical region: South America
Drainage Basin: Rio Amazonas
River catchment: Rio Negro
Water body type: River
Water body name: Preto
Water body part
Water body course: Upper course
Water body: tributary of: Rio
Tributary name: Aracà

Type locality: Essequibo River, Guyana.
Conservation status/IUCN Red List: Not Evaluated (NE)

Water Chemistry

Water information

Water type: Fresh water
Water color: Black water
Water transparency: Medium
Concentration of sediments: Low
Water temperature: 22-26 °C
Water flow/curent: Slow

Chemical parameters

pH: 6.0-7.0
Conductivity: 7
GH
KH
Dissolved Oxygen

Biology

Standard length

7.5 cm

Water volume (min. aquarium)

100 l

Social behaviour

Lives single

Behaviour description

Generally peacefull and is recomended to be kept in groups in an aquarium. It goes along well with a vast variety of peaceful fish as long as they are not too small.

In its natural environment Helogenes marmoratus is found both in black- and clearwater streams, preferably with slow and fast flow, mostly over sandy ground. This species hides in the litter or aquatic vegetation.

Its esemblance to dead leaves is a well known type of camouflage recorded for several other small vertebrates that dwell in the leaf and root litter on the ground. This nocturnal fish spends the daytime among submersed root-tangle with leaf litter in Amazonian streams. It is very difficult to spot visually, due both to its shape and color, which blend with the substrate, as well as to the heterogeneous nature of its cover.

Aggression grade

Peacefull

Activity

Night active

Sexual dimorphism

Unknown.

Nutrition in Nature

Feeds on terrestrial insects, insect larvae and small worms.

Reproduction

Breeding tank set-up

There is no breeding report.

Nutrition parents