Description
Sturisomatichthys aureum is a bottom catfish of up to 20 cm, from the Colombian basins of the Magdalena, San Jorge and Cesar. It eats plants and roots, so in the aquarium submerged wood is part of its diet.
It is a quiet fish for a long tank, at least 120 cm. It asks for clean water and does not cope well with competition for food.
Behavior
It can be expected to be calm and slow, spending the day pressed to logs and roots. It asks for a long tank, clean water and companions that do not take its food.
It lives well with calm fish of the middle and upper levels, such as tetras and rasboras.
Avoid housing it with lively fish that dispute its food and with other territorial bottom catfish.
Habitat
Sturisomatichthys aureum lives in the Magdalena, San Jorge and Cesar basins, in Colombia. Its specific environment has not been described.
Details
🌊 Water parameters
🐠 Minimum tank size
Breeding
Its breeding is not documented. The relatives of its genus lay their eggs on hard surfaces, and the male looks after them.
Diet
A herbivore of plants and roots: in the aquarium it depends on wood.
- Staple: submerged wood to gnaw, always available, and vegetable pleco tablets.
- Supplement: courgette, cucumber or blanched spinach.
What about your tank?
Enter your tank's values to see only the compatible species that fit them. Litres apply to fish.
Compatible fish
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 25–29 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 25–29 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 25–29 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 26–29 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 25–29 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 25–29 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–29 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–29 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–8 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 27–29 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 26–29 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 25–29 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.2 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.2 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.2 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.2 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.2 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 26–29 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–8 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
Compatible invertebrates
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 25–29 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 26–29 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 27–29 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8 and 27–29 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 25–28 °C.
Sources
- FishBaseFroese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2026. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
The care values (pH, temperature and hardness) come from a single source: none of the other accepted sources records them for this species.
Name: GBIF accepts Sturisomatichthys aureum; FishBase has it as Sturisomatichthys aureus, and the source link points to that name.
Water: FishBase gives pH 6-8, 5-19 dH and 25-29 °C. Size: 20 cm SL. Diet: FishBase notes that it feeds on plants and roots. Tank: FishBase gives a minimum of 120 cm. Distribution: the Magdalena, San Jorge and Cesar basins. Behaviour and breeding: FishBase does not record them; the text is general knowledge of the genus, not of the species.
Litres per fish, tank sizes and lifespan: the profile's own judgement. The sources consulted do not give them.
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