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Longfin Bristlenose Pleco (Ancistrus sp. long fin)
24–27°C · pH 6.5–7.5 · 80L
£11.99
The Chameleon Whiptail Catfish (Pseudohemiodon apithanos) is a rare and fascinating catfish that changes colour to match its surroundings. With its flat body and mesmerising camouflage ability, this peaceful bottom dweller is a prized collector’s species from the upper Amazon basin.
Adult size is the maximum length this species reaches at full maturity (scientific sources). The livestock you receive will be younger and smaller — pick a size variant above for the actual shipping size. Product-photo provenance and any image-specific limitations are stated on the listing.
Pseudohemiodon apithanos
The Chameleon Whiptail Catfish (Pseudohemiodon apithanos) is a rare and fascinating catfish that changes colour to match its surroundings. With its flat body and mesmerising camouflage ability, this peaceful bottom dweller is a prized collector’s species from the upper Amazon basin.
Adult size is the maximum length this species reaches at full maturity (scientific sources). The livestock you receive will be younger and smaller — pick a size variant above for the actual shipping size. Product-photo provenance and any image-specific limitations are stated on the listing.
Maintain these water conditions for optimal health and vibrant colors
The Chameleon Whiptail Catfish (Pseudohemiodon apithanos) is a remarkable flat-bodied loricariid from the western Amazon, famous for its ability to change colour to match its surroundings. Slow, gentle and beautifully camouflaged, it spends its day part-buried in fine sand, making a fascinating and unusual bottom-dweller for the specialist keeper.
Reaching around 20cm, it has an extraordinarily flattened, ribbon-like body and a long whip tail, perfectly shaped for lying flush against the substrate. Its base colour shifts between sandy brown, olive and blotchy dark patterns depending on mood and surroundings — a genuine chameleon among catfish.
A deep bed of fine, soft sand is essential — this fish buries and sifts, and coarse gravel will damage it. Provide at least 150 litres of footprint, soft to neutral water (pH 6.0–7.5) at 24–28°C, gentle flow and some smooth wood or leaf litter. Clean, well-oxygenated water keeps this sensitive species healthy.
Entirely peaceful and rather shy, the Chameleon Whiptail ignores tankmates and spends its time camouflaged on the sand. It suits a calm community of small-to-medium peaceful fish. Give it space and quiet, and avoid boisterous or highly territorial bottom-dwellers that would compete for the substrate.
| Great tank mates | Best avoided |
|---|---|
| Peaceful tetras and rasboras | Boisterous bottom-dwellers |
| Corydoras and other calm catfish | Aggressive cichlids |
| Dwarf cichlids | Fin-nippers |
| Peaceful mid-water community fish | Gravel-only tanks (needs sand) |
An omnivore that forages the substrate, it takes sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm and other frozen foods, and algae wafers. Because it is slow and unassuming, make sure sinking food reaches it and is not intercepted by faster tankmates, feeding after the lights dim if needed.
Unusually, the male is a devoted parent, carrying the clutch of eggs attached to the underside of his flattened body until they hatch — a captivating behaviour for anyone lucky enough to spawn this species in a mature, sandy, soft-water tank.
Sand is everything for this fish — a deep, fine sandy bed lets it bury, sift and camouflage naturally, and a specimen kept on the right substrate is far more relaxed, colourful and long-lived.
Every Chameleon Whiptail Catfish is hand-selected and quarantined before sale, then packed in oxygenated bags with insulation and heat packs when needed and sent by tracked, live-animal courier. Your order is covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee, so it reaches you safely anywhere in the UK.
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