Panama whiptail catfish
A long, slender, twig-shaped loricariid with trailing filaments on the caudal fin, and a genuine algae eater in a family where most of the trade's fish are not. It is peaceful to the point of being pushed off food, which is the commonest way it is lost.
Quick profile
- Scientific name
- Sturisomatichthys panamense
- Adult size
- 18–25 cm (7.1–9.8 in)
- Lifespan
- 8–12 years
- Temperature
- 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- pH
- 6.5–7.8
- Hardness
- 3–15 °dGH
- Minimum tank
- 180 L (48 US gal)
- Minimum length
- 120 cm
- Swimming zone
- Bottom
- Social
- Loose group — at least 2
- Diet
- Algae grazer
- Overall confidence
- moderate confidence
What keeping this species involves
Needs vegetable food it can actually reach, long surfaces to rest on, and tankmates that will not strip the caudal filaments. Water is the easy part.
Moderate to fast river reaches over sand and gravel with submerged wood and branch tangles, in clear water.
Identity and names
- Common name
- Panama whiptail catfish
- Scientific name
- Sturisomatichthys panamense
- Family
- Loricariidae
- Order
- Siluriformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Also sold as
- Sturisoma panamense, Sturisomatichthys panamense, Panamanian whiptail, panamense whiptail
- Former or synonymous names
- Sturisoma panamense
Name ambiguity
Sold universally as Sturisoma panamense. GBIF files that name as a synonym of Sturisomatichthys panamense, which is what this record publishes as the accepted binomial; the trade name stays searchable.
Adult size and growth
18–25 cm (7.1–9.8 in) — The filamentous fin extensions add several centimetres to a fish that is otherwise slim.
Typical lifespan in an aquarium: 8–12 years. Almost every animal sold in a shop is a juvenile, so the tank has to suit the size in the first line rather than the size in the bag.
Shape, which is what the compatibility engine reads instead of length alone: depressed — flattened top to bottom with a grazing or sucking mouth. Assigned from what is typical of Loricariidae, not examined for this species.
Water and tank requirements
A 25 cm fish that rests horizontally along wood and needs the length of it. Volume is not the constraint; the length of available surface is, and a fish that lies along a branch needs a branch it fits on.
Temperature (°C)
Scale: 0 to 36 °C.
pH (pH)
Scale: 4 to 9.5 pH.
Hardness (°dGH)
Scale: 0 to 30 °dGH.
Why these ranges: Clear Central American river reaches over sand and gravel: near-neutral, moderately soft, and with more flow and oxygen than the still tanks these fish usually end up in. The band is wide because the range spans two slopes with different geology.
Where these figures come from
Habitat class
Hill stream and rapids
Fast, cool, oxygen-saturated running water over rock and gravel, typically at altitude or on a steep gradient.
Oxygen and flow are the requirement, not the chemistry. A hill-stream species in still water at the right pH is being kept badly, and the failure is slow enough that the keeper usually blames something else.
- Conductivity
- 50–300 µS/cm
- Flow
- high
- Dissolved oxygen
- near saturation
- Seasonality
- moderate
These are figures for the KIND of water body, not measurements of this species. They are AquariumHQ’s summary of the general limnology and are given wide because the water is.
- TemperatureReasoned on this record
- This record states its own reason for this band. See the water section.
- pHReasoned on this record
- This record states its own reason for this band. See the water section.
- General hardnessReasoned on this record
- This record states its own reason for this band. See the water section.
| Requirement | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 23–28 °C (73–82 °F) | Stability matters more than hitting an exact figure. |
| pH | 6.5–7.8 | A stable pH outside the ideal band is usually better than an unstable one inside it. |
| General hardness | 3–15 °dGH | Check your supplier's published figure before choosing species. |
| Minimum volume | 180 L (48 US gal) | A floor, not a recommendation. |
| Minimum footprint | 120 cm long | A 25 cm fish that rests horizontally along wood and needs the length of it. Volume is not the constraint; the length of available surface is, and a fish that lies along a branch needs a branch it fits on. |
| Water flow | moderate | Match the outflow to this rather than to the filter's rating. |
| Lid required | Recommended | Reduces evaporation and prevents accidents. |
| Structure | Long pieces of smooth wood, fine sand, moderate flow and open surfaces to graze. |
Behaviour
- Rests motionless along wood and glass for long periods and is easily missed.
- Grazes surfaces continuously at night and hardly at all when the tank is busy.
Telling males from females
Mature males develop bristles along the sides of the snout. Females do not, and are slightly deeper-bodied.
Feeding
A genuine herbivore, unlike most of the plecos alongside it. It must be fed vegetables directly, and it is slow enough at food that faster tankmates take it first.
- Diet type
- Algae grazer
- Staples
- Blanched courgette, cucumber and spinach, Algae wafers, Spirulina-based sinking food, Biofilm grazed from surfaces
Breeding
- Strategy
- Eggs laid on glass or wood in a clutch, guarded and fanned by the male
- Difficulty
- straightforward
- Parental care
- guarding
One of the easier loricariids to breed. The male guards a flat clutch on vertical glass, which is unusually visible.
Tankmates and compatibility
Assessments are derived from stored traits by the compatibility engine, with the reasoning shown. A verdict is a statement about probability, not a guarantee — individual temperament can override it.
| Towards | Risk | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Small fish | none | Anything that fits in the mouth is at risk once this species reaches adult size. |
| Adult dwarf shrimp | none | Cover reduces losses but rarely prevents them where the risk is high. |
| Shrimplets | low | Determines whether a shrimp colony can grow rather than merely persist. |
| Snails | none | Applies to snails you wanted as well as snails you did not. |
| Long or trailing fins | none | Fin damage is an entry point for secondary infection. |
| Plants | grazes-algae | Tough species such as Anubias and Java fern survive most grazers. |
Any pair in the catalogue can be assessed with the compatibility checker.
Welfare considerations
Points where the way this species is commonly sold or kept differs from what it actually needs.
- Starves in tanks where faster fish take the food. This is the commonest cause of loss and it is slow enough to be attributed to almost anything else.
- The trailing caudal filaments are a target for nippers, and a fish with them stripped is a fish that has been in the wrong tank for months.
- Sold under a name GBIF treats as a synonym, which means a keeper searching for care information finds it filed under two genera.
Problems to watch for
Most problems in a tank containing this species are general rather than species-specific. Start with the troubleshooting index and work from the observation rather than from a guess at the cause.
What AquariumHQ does not yet hold
Species-level disease susceptibility is modelled in the graph and is not yet populated. Health pages will not be published until each condition has veterinary sourcing, because health content written without evidence is the most harmful thing this product could publish. The gap is recorded in the coverage report.
Where it comes from
- Native range
- Pacific and Atlantic slope drainages of Panama and Colombia
- Habitat
- Moderate to fast river reaches over sand and gravel with submerged wood and branch tangles, in clear water.
Evidence
Every stored value with the kind of support behind it and where to check it. Evidence type and confidence are separate axes: an editorial position held confidently and a measurement held tentatively are different things.
| Claim | Value | Evidence type | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| scientific name | Sturisomatichthys panamense | Observed / measured | high confidence | Catalogue of Life; GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| native range | Pacific and Atlantic slope drainages of Panama and Colombia | Observed / measured | moderate confidence | GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| adult size | 18–25 cm | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| lifespan | 8–12 years | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| temperature | 23–28 °C | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| ph | 6.5–7.8 pH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| general hardness | 3–15 °dGH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank volume | ≥ 180 L | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank length | ≥ 120 cm | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum group size | ≥ 2 | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
Last reviewed 2026-08-10. Values labelled as an aquarium-literature consensus are AquariumHQ editorial positions rather than measurements — see how evidence is handled.
Why we say this
What each figure on this page rests on, and how far that is from being independently established.
Every figure on this page has a provenance. Open any claim to see what AquariumHQ holds for it, which sources say what, and what a claim of that kind actually needs. Different claims need different evidence: an accepted scientific name is settled by one authority, while a legal restriction needs a current primary instrument. A single source is often the right answer rather than a thin one.
scientific nameAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableBased on a verified authoritative source.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: accepted scientific name and classification — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. Checked against gbif on 2026-08-30. One authoritative backbone is what this class requires.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
native rangeAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableLimited evidence — treat with caution.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: where the species occurs — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. No checklist distribution statement is held for this species. The range on the page is editorial until one is.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
adult sizeAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: size a well-kept specimen reaches — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
lifespanAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
temperatureAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
phAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
general hardnessAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
minimum tank volumeAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: minimum tank size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No authority publishes this. AquariumHQ derives it, and the derivation is recorded with its inputs and assumptions.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
minimum tank lengthAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: minimum tank size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No authority publishes this. AquariumHQ derives it, and the derivation is recorded with its inputs and assumptions.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
minimum group sizeAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: group size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
Guides relevant to this species
Chosen from this record's own traits rather than listed on every page.
- Schooling and shoalingThis species is recorded as loose group, and the number it is kept in decides how it behaves.
- Scientific and trade namesThis species has been published under more than one accepted name.
- Wild conditions and aquarium recommendationsThe water band on this page is an AquariumHQ position with a stated reason, not a measurement of a river.
- Rehoming an animal you can no longer keepThis animal reaches 25 cm. Most of the difficult rehoming cases are fish sold small that were always going to become impossible.
- How to read a compatibility verdictThis animal's fins are a target, and most compatibility verdicts about that are derived rather than observed.
Group size and social behaviour
Peaceful with its own kind and with everything else. Males become mildly territorial over a spawning site and that is the extent of it.