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This species is very similar to Centromochlus musaicus and therefore is mistaken and sometimes labeled as this species. The main differences is that C. musaicus does not have a white spot/blotch underneath the dorsal fin and has a different pattern on the caudal fin from this species. Habitat: Centromochlus orca is known from the mouth of igarapé Jamari, a tributary of the lower rio Nhamundá, in the western Pará, and from two close localities in lagoa Sete Ilhas upstream from Nhamundá, on boundary between Amazonas and Pará, in a region along the transition between the Amazonas floodplain and the Guiana Shield. Note: Regarding the dubious position of C. musaicus within available genera of Centromochlinae, a reappraisal of phylogenetic relationships within the subfamily is in preparation (LMSS). Based on this ongoing study of centromochlin catfshes, there is some evidence that C. musaicus and C. orca are sister species in a more inclusive Centromochlus clade. In this paper we retain C. musaicus in Tatia to avoid confusion, but consider Tatia to be a paraphyletic assemblage (Sarmento-Soares et al 2016). See Bárbara B. Calegari et. al. 2019 for further update. "Sp. Ninja" was described (Dec. 2016) as Centromochlus orca due to the colouration resembling that of the orca whales (Orcinus orca). Aquarium Care: This small driftwood cat would probably be best kept in the same conditions as Centromochlus musaicus and would need a planted tank with the lighting not too bright. Diet: Feeding of frozen bloodworm which they will come out of hiding to feed on, catfish tablets, daphnia, white worm (sparingly) and any other small worm-like foods. Etymology: The genus name Centromochlus: kentron, thorn or spine; mochlus, lever or crowbar, presumably referring to strongly serrated dorsal-fin spine. The specific name orca: is an allusion to the colouration resembling that of the orca whales (Orcinus orca). A noun in apposition.. Remarks: Mees (1974) assigned this species to Tatia but Ferraris (2007) reverted it back to the original genera of Centromochlus. Just recently (September 2019) a new paper was released by Bárbara B. Calegari et. al. whereas this species was reclassified back to Tatia again but at the moment Centromochlus is still considered the genus name.

Ninja Cat

Tatia orca

Auchenipteridae

Soth America: Lower rio Nhamundá, in the western Pará, Brazil.

5.0cm. (2ins)

22-25°c (71-77°f.)

6.0-7.0.

Bárbara B Calegari, Richard P Vari, Roberto E Reis, 2019. Phylogenetic systematics of the driftwood catfishes (Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae): a combined morphological and molecular analysis, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, , zlz036.
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. 2009. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (01/2011).
Grant, S., 2015. Four new subgenera of Centromochlus Kner, 1858 with comments on the boundaries of some related genera (Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae: Centromochlinae). Ichthyofile No 3. pp, 1-16.
Sarmento-Soares, Luisa Maria; Martins-Pinheiro, Ronaldo Fernando A systematic revision of Tatia (Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae: Centromochlinae) Neotropical Ichthyology, 6(3):495-542, 2008.