This species is also traded as ‘golden cobra snakehead’ and is available in the aquarium trade on a regular basis.

It can be distinguished from other Channa species by the following combination of characters: 51-54 lateral line scales; 45-47 dorsal-fin rays; 28-30 anal-fin rays; 8-12 cheek scales; 50-52 total verte…

Chaca are unsuitable subjects for the general aquarist, but are quite popular among lovers of oddball species. This species is very similar in appearance to the closely related C. bankanensis. However, it's usually a bit lighter in colour than its relative and possesses small hooklets on the lower lip and body that are not present in bankanensis. It's a true master of disguise and is also known as the angler catfish, due to its ability to use its barbels as a kind of lure. These can be…

Chaca are unsuitable subjects for the general aquarist, but are relatively popular among lovers of oddball species. This species is very similar in appearance to the closely related C. chaca. However, it is somewhat darker and redder in colour than its relative, and lacks the hooklets that occur on the lips and body of chaca. It is a true master of disguise, and is also known as the angler catfish, due to it's ability to use its barbels as a kind of lure, using them to simulate the movement…

This species is relatively common in the aquarium hobby but contrary to popular belief is not venomous in any way. Its dorsal and opercular spines can pierce the skin, however, meaning extreme caution is necessary when netting it or performing aquarium maintenance.

The genus Allenbatrachus was erected in 1997 to accom…

This species appears is rare in the aquarium hobby with the majority of images both online and in the published literature instead depicting H. confuzona or H. parclitella. All three are members of the H. ocellata ‘group’ within the genus which currently contains H. ocellata, H. bilineata, H. confuzona, H. orthogoniata, H. ogilviei and H. parclitella.

Following Tan and Ng (2005) these share possession of…

There are at least two variants available one of which is often traded as G.sp. ‘Araguaia orange head’. This is misleading since both are endemic to the Tapajós drainage (see ‘Distribution’), and appears to date back to an error in collection locality when the fish were first exported.

The two differ in the extent of orange colouration on the head which extends onto the opercle in G. sp. ‘orange head (rio Arapiuns form) but is mostly restricted to the area above the ey…

Known only from the rio Pindaré in Maranhão state, north-eastern Brazil which drains into the Baía de São Marcos (St. Mark’s Bay) along with the rios Mearim, of which it is sometimes considered a tributary, and Grajaú. Some sections of the Pindaré have been heavily degraded via removal of riparian vegetation for agriculture and habitats destroyed due to resultant siltation.

The river is poorly-studied and the conservation status of its fishes mostly unconfirmed so su…

This species is rare in the hobby though it’s name is often attached to shipments of other Geophagus species. It’s a member of the nominal G. surinamensis ‘group’ of closely-related species within the genus and can be identified by a combination of characters including: possession of dark preopercular marking; no vertical bars on the flanks; relatively large, roughly oblong-shaped dark midlateral marking; caudal fin brownish with 3-5 light stripes on upper lobe and less well-defined stripes or mottled pattern of light spots with narrow dark interspaces on lower lobe.

This species appears to be a relative ecological generalist. During a sampling trip in 1989 it was collected various habitat-types including a narrow (maximum width 3 m) stream containing shallow (maximum depth 1 m), transparent, moderate to fast-flowing water and substrate comprising gravel, mud, clay and organic debris including submerged logs. Aquatic plants consisted of water lilies and marginal vegetation was dense, comprising various trees, shrubs, grasses and ferns.

Juvenile specimens of this species are readily confused with those of other members of the 'G.' brasiliensis species group, but adults are easily-distinguished by their relatively smaller adult size and comparative lack of reflective blue scales on the body and head.

The genus Geophagus was rediagnosed by Kullander (1986) who restricted it to include only those species with paired caudal extensions to the swi…