Turushuqui Mutante!

Alright team, head to your social of choice and record yourself saying that title name. We want to see the worst you've got (but keep it family friendly fam!) Wait, read this first, then do it and make sure you @theaquatropic us, we'll be waiting.

Let's talk about the coolest little cat you've never heard of: Turushuqui Mutante Catfish! It's obscure enough that google translate doesn't even know what to do with it. Turushuqui is an Uzbek word that means “stand up” and mutante is a Latin word that means mutate or change. It keeps getting weirder though as that isn't even the scientific name! Another fish named Turushuqui Catfish (Oxydoras niger) are frequently called Ripsaw Catfish, for their famously barbed dorsal fin spine, but that is not this fish. These fish are members of the Rhinodoras genus, and so the only thing they share with the Ripsaw is a very strange Uzbek first common name (and a more distant relation).

Rhinodoras is derived from Greek. “Rhinos” means “nose” and “doras” means “skin.” All the fish in this group have a fleshy nose and mouth parts, making them look like they're puckering for a campy photo smooch, or maybe went too hard on the botox. None of them are that common in the aquarium world, and this one may be the rarest of them all.

When we say rare, it isn't hyperbole, this is the first shipment of them we've ever gotten, and as such, we're hard pressed at this point to give you quality information on a few points, such as: how big does it get? We're going to lean on honesty here; We've only been able to speak with one person who has kept these fish at all, and he has indicated that over the year he's had them, all the fish in his group have barely grown at all, even though they've been well fed. When we look at all the Rhinodoras fish as a genus, the maximum size ranges from just shy of four inches up to 20 inches, with most of the hits close to six. We're betting this species is going to be on the smaller end of this scale based on the common size we see and the growth rates of the individuals we've learned about.

They are fine being kept together at this size, and will often co-habit places to hide, stacked up inside whatever caves you provide. Other fish in the genus are all also peaceful, but hungry. Basically, this boils down to a fish that does well in community fish settings, with one caveat, if they can catch a smaller fish, they will eat it. They're high risk with things like ornamental shrimp but shouldn't pose much of a problem for the plants in your aquarium. They will relish places to hide, and the more caves and overhangs and shady places to hide you can give them, the more active they will be. Like most fish in this genus (and indeed most catfish), the Turushuqui Mutante Catfish will be nocturnal initially, and will always be most active from early dusk till late dawn. They will adjust this somewhat as they start to learn feeding times happen in daylight. One way to increase the visibility of any catfish is to use a red wavelength of lighting for some of the day. While red illuminates dimly, it has the benefit of not being seen well underwater (it penetrates water poorly and so many fish don't see it very well, if at all). You can use this to your benefit by tricking your Catfish into thinking it is night before it is.

The Turushuqui Mutante Catfish have performed very well for us in house, which is to be expected from fish in Rhinodoras which have shown themselves to be hardy and adaptable. The Mutante Cats come from South American rivers that are slightly acidic with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. These streams are usually warm between 74 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit and quite soft with hardness under 10 degrees. They don't seem overly bothered by hardness, but if your aquarium parameters are very far outside this range, then acclimate your new fish to them slowly. They don't have specific flow needs, but the water should stay clean so incorporate a filter that can turn over the whole system at least five times an hour.

Our Mutante Cats have been very easy to feed, accepting a wide range of thawed foods quickly. Here they are getting Bloodworms, Mysis, Mosquito Larvae, and a variety of enriched brine, all from Gamma Foods. While we feed twice a day, these fish can easily be fed once a day with no problems and perhaps less as they get bigger. The only problem we could see feeding wise for the home aquarist is timing. You'll likely have to feed them after lights out initially, but they are excellent food finders and will need no light to do so. They will relish the opportunity to hunt live food, so earthworms, redworms and even clean feeder fish are on the menu.

Obviously, there are some unknowns here, we're on the wild cutting edge of a new fish for North American aquariums. No one really knows how big this fish is going to get, and as a result, how large will their display need to be? What kind of longevity do they have? Even more interestingly, can they be bred and reared in the home aquarium? Which of you will attempt this first? If you're up to having the rarest catfish of all your aquarium keeping buddies, or perhaps being the first person, we know of to raise them in captivity, well, it's time you headed to your Local Fish Store, to ask them for a few Turushuqui Mutante Catfish from Aquatropic today!