Article © Julian Dignall, uploaded October 02, 2010.

Nano aquariums, along with the word stunning, are all the rage at the time of writing. Here at PlanetCatfish.com we are, it has to be admitted, perhaps not among the most fashion conscious. However I write this month's short CotM article about a rather short fish that could be fashionable but, thankfully, I can avoid increasing the over use of the word stunning to describe it.

Indeed, if you print out this species' name, Tridensimilis brevis, in even quite a small type face, that printed name would be twice as long as the physical fish. This then is a real nano catfish and its addition to a nano tank will not strike fear into the hearts of cherry shrimp or Riccia (it's a plant, I know it doesn't actually have a heart, but you get my point) - this fish is plant and shrimp safe. These dwarf parasitic catfish are really unusual additions to a small tank and their small mouths will not eat adult shrimps or plants.

Being as small and transparent as it is, it is actually noteworthy that it came to anyone's attention; it is testament both to this fishes wide distribution and the diligence of the Eigenmanns that described it over 120 years ago in 1889. It rarely comes to aquarists attention either and is almost exclusively found for sale as a by-catch with species such as Corydoras pygmaeus or similar looking mini characins. It's easy to overlook even in aquaria as it is a mid water always moving clear fish - again something that endears it to those running the smaller aquarium.

Don't let the parasitic common name worry you, that refers to the family name and while this species is clearly a carnivore (most easily fed on chopped bloodworm or similar that can be seen in their stomach through the fishes transparent body), it will be safe with .5"/1cm fishes or upto 1"/2cm. There is the possibility this species will begin to become parasitic with fish larger than that, although I did not observe this.

In summary, the perfect curio for a pretty nano tank - your challenge is to find them.

Copyright information for the images used in this article can be found on the species' full Cat-eLog page.

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	Tridentopsis brevis  (Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1889)
Common Names	Glass Candiru Dwarf Parasitic Catfish, Glass Parasitic Catfish, Pygmæ-parasitmalle (Denmark)
Type Locality	Tabatinga, Amazonas, Brazil.
Synonym(s)	Tridens brevis, Tridensimilis brevis
Articles
Species Information
Size	30mm or 1.2" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	Minute species of Catfish, usually actively swimming in the water column, at other times resting on plants or substrate. Tiny barbels visible on close examination (particularly when feeding). Body is remarkably transparent, the organs are enclosed in a silvery sac, although the stomach contents and other areas of the alimentary tract may be visible. There are two dark pigment spots on the body, one in the humeral area, the other on the caudal peduncle (this spot actually appear to be made up of pigmented skeletal elements as opposed to epidermal pigment).
Sexing	Unknown, although females may show ovaries through body wall when gravid.
General Remarks	One of the photographed specimens originated in a shipment of Corydoras pygmaeus from Peru.
Habitat Information
Distribution	South America: Amazon River basin. Amazon (click on these areas to find other species found there) Login to view the map.
IUCN Red List Category	Not Evaluated
pH	5.6 - 7.6
Temperature	21.0-30.0°C or 69.8-86°F (Show species within this range)
Other Parameters	Large water changes not appreciated, very regular small changes optimal. Strong flow not required.
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Small Live Crustaceans, Worms, Insect Larvae taken eagerly. Dry food ignored. Incipient parasitism. User data.
Furniture	Not important. Sand or bare base probably best.
Compatibility	Complex and variable. No problems with small characins, but there is some evidence that they are opportunistically lepidophagous on slightly larger fish under some circumstances. It has been observed that they will attack large ultra peaceful fish e.g. Doradids. There are no intraspecific compatibility problems observed, a larger group needs to be assembled to gather more information.
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
Further Information
Reference	Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (Series 2) v. 2, pp 54.
Registered Keepers	There are 5 registered keepers, view all "my cats" data.
Wishlists	Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list. There is but a single wish to keep this species, see who wants what.
Spotters	Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There are 8 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
Forum BBCode
	Search for T. brevis
	Look up T. brevis on AquaticRepublic.com
	Look up T. brevis on Fishbase
	Look up T. brevis on Encyclopedia of Life
	Look up T. brevis on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
	LFS label creator ARN ref:1.26.1302.775
Last Update	2023 Nov 09 12:53 (species record created: 2010 Oct 02 03:38)

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