Leopard Candiru Catfish (Ituglanis amazonicus)

A beautifully marked member of the pencil catfish family – more commonly known in the Amazon as Candiru – many of which are parasitic in nature, attaching themselves to the inside of the gills or other surfaces of larger fish and feeding on blood. In the aquarium, most of these species will readily adapt to a more conventional diet, and the Leopard Spotted Candiru accepts most sinking frozen or prepared foods. A shy species, they will typically hide during the day and emerge at night to explore and search for food.