Eel Tail Banjo Catfish (Platystacus cotylephorus)

An unusual  and larger growing relative of the more well-known Banjo Catfish, the Eel Tail Banjo Catfish is a unique, elongated species found throughout parts of the lower Amazon, coastal Brazil and the Guyana Shield. The Eel Tail Banjo Catfish inhabits shallow, warm stretches of slow-moving waters and areas of flooded forest in the wild. Their unique body shape and variable coloration acts as highly effective camouflage in the submerged leaf litter where they are typically found. This species has a unique reproductive strategy, with females using specialized pores on the underside of their tail to carry their eggs until hatching. In the aquarium, this species is relatively hardy and undemanding, although they can be slow to find food and may be outcompeted by fast-moving or aggressive feeding tankmates.