The cascarudo (Callichthys callichthys), armored catfish, bubblenest catfish, hassar, or mailed catfish is a subtropical freshwater fish belonging to the Callichthyinae sub-family of the Callichthyidae family. It originates in inland waters in South America, and is very wide ranging, extending from Trinidad to Buenos Aires, Argentina, including the upper Amazon River and Paraguay River systems. It was originally described as Silurus callichthys by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. Subtropical (or semitropical) areas are those adjacent to the tropics, usually roughly defined as the ranges 23. ... For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold blooded, covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Genera Aspidoras Brochis Callichthys Corydoras Dianema Hoplosternum Lepthoplosternum Megalechis Scleromystax The family Callichthyidae hails from South America and contains some of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish such as the corydoras. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Look up Trinidad in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Coordinates: Found 1536, 1580 Mayor Jorge Telerman Area    - City 203 km²  (78. ... A satellite image of the mouth of the Amazon River, looking south The Amazon River or River Amazon (Spanish: ; Portuguese: ) of South America is the most voluminous river on earth, having a greater total flow than the next six largest rivers combined. ... The Paraguay River near Asunción The River Paraguay (Rio Paraguay in Spanish, Rio Paraguai in Portuguese) is a major river in south central South America, running through Brazil and Paraguay and forming a border between Brazil and Bolivia as well as Paraguay and Argentina. ... Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[1] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... 1758 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

The fish will grow in length up to 8 inches (20 centimeters). The females are larger and more robust and are a dull olive-green, while the males are brighter in color, exhibiting a delicate blue or violet sheen laterally with a more developed and longer pectoral fin spine that is reddish brown and edged with orange or reddish orange. Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... A centimetre (American spelling centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of length that is equal to one hundredth of a metre, the current SI base unit of length. ...

It lives in a variety of water types, from anoxic conditions (slack water zones surrounded by dense vegetation) to slightly turbid but free-flowing streams. It can be found in waters with pH ranging from 5.8 to 8.3, a water hardness of 0 - 30dGH, and a temperature range of 64 - 83 °F (18 - 28 °C). When its biotype becomes dry, it can move out of the water, due to its ability to swallow air and use its intestines to absorb oxygen from the atmosphere, to find more water. It feeds at night on fish, insects, and plant matter. Juveniles feed on rotifers, in addition to the micro-crustaceans and aquatic insect larvae they find when digging into the substrate. During reproduction, the male's belly turns orange and its pectoral spines become longer and thicker. The male builds a bubble nest with some floating plants, fiercely guarding it after the female lays down her eggs. . The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724. ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold blooded, covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrates that are taxonomically referred to as the class Insecta. ... Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta - liverworts Anthocerotophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta - rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta - zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta - trimerophytes Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta... An exceptionally large nest Bubble nests are created by male Betta/Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta splendens) from air bubbles coated with saliva to increase durability. ...

The cascarudo is of commercial importance in the aquarium trade industry and of minor importance as a food source. It can be kept in aquariums, with groups of more than five individuals recommended.

In the aquarium

In the aqaurium, these fish attain a length of up to 14 cm (5.5 inches). It is a peaceful and relatively undemanding species, usually active in dim light or at night, but hiding when the light is bright. It is an excellent jumper and the tank should be well-covered. They require at least a 20-gallon tank, although the water should be fairly shallow (6 inches or less), especially for breeding. Part of the reason for this is their habit of gulping air from the surface. The bottom material should be fine and dark in color. Plants should be strong and well-rooted. Floating plants can be used to keep the light level down and for breeding.

A temperature range of 24°C to 26°C is adequate, although for brief periods temperatures as low as 18°C can be tolerated. The water chemistry is not critical but the water should be kept clean despite the fish's habit of stirring up the bottom.

It is easy to feed and will accept almost anything, both animal and vegetable, although it prefers live foods. Although it is primarily a bottom forager, it will include small fishes in its diet, probably taking them at night while they sleep.

Spawning has been accomplished in the aquarium and this fish is being bred commercially, although not in large quantities. Callichthys is a builder of bubblenests from plant parts, some bottom materials, and bubbles formed by a mouth secretion and air. The male forms a mass of bubbles about 20cm (8 in.) in diameter and 10cm (4 in) high. During the time of construction, the female is actively chased away or ignored. When the nest construction is complete, the male will accept the female. The eggs (up to several hundred) are deposited into the nest and the male or the pair will actively protect the nest for about four weeks until the fry come out of the nest at the size of 2.5 cm (1 in.). Bubblenests, also spelled bubble nests and bubble-nests, created by some fish species, are floating masses of bubbles blown with an oral secretion, spit bubbles, and occasionally aquatic plants, or an area for egg deposit attached at the bottom. ... A centimetre (American spelling centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of length that is equal to one hundredth of a metre, the current SI base unit of length. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... A centimetre (American spelling centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of length that is equal to one hundredth of a metre, the current SI base unit of length. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ...

See also

• List of freshwater aquarium fish species

A vast number of species of fish have been successfully kept in the home aquarium. ...

External links

• Photos at Fishbase

References

• "Callichthys callichthys". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. March 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
• Burgess, Dr. Warren E. (1987). A Complete Introduction to Corydoras and Related Catfishes. Neptune City, NJ: T.F.H. Publications. ISBN 0-86622-264-2.