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Joe Cutler (2) Russell Brian Tate (1)

These catfish commonly known as 'African Whiptails' tends to ratify the theory that the two great continents of the America's and Africa where at one time, one great mass of land as they look on first glance to be superficially like South American "Whiptails", such as from the Rineloricaria/Hemiloricaria genera. Description: Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Diagnosis: caudal peduncle relatively short, 3-4.2 times in SL and slender, length 8-16 times depth. Habitat: These catfish inhabit fast flowing waters and spend a lot of their time clinging to aquatic leaves and if you provide long stemmed plants, such as Vallisneria for instance, you will see this habit. Aquarium Care: To keep this species and other members of this African hillstream family you will have to provide a well oxygenated planted aquarium and keep up your water changes as they are not as hardy as their South American equivalents. Etymology: The specific name brevicauda: with short caudal.

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Amphiliidae

Africa: Lower Congo River. Type locality: Trib. of Lobi R., S. W. of Efulen, and Kribi R., South Cameroon; Abanga R., Ogowe.

8.5.cm (3½ins)

22-26°c (71-77°f)

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2021. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 08/2021 ).
Skelton, P.H. and G.G. Teugels, 1986. Amphiliidae. p. 54-65. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB, Brussels; MRAC, Tervuren; and ORSTOM, Paris. Vol. 2.