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Scientific Name Platydoras hancockii  (Valenciennes, 1840)
Common Names Longnose Dora
Hancocks Tornmalle (Denmark), Kopfstrich-Dornwels (Germany)
Type Locality Demerara River, Guyana.
Synonym(s) Amblydoras hancockii, Doras hancockii
Pronunciation pla tee doh russ - hand COCK eye
Etymology Platydoras: From the Greek platys, meaning flat, and doras, meaning skin (also a word commonly used in forming generic names for doradids); in reference to the depressed head. 
Hop to next section Species Information
Size 150mm or 5.9" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification Commonly misidentified as Amblydoras hancockii, this is a different species and can be found as Amblydoras naticus.
Sexing Underside of female is creamy white, the male is freckled as shown below. Males are more slender than the wider (when viewed from above or below) females.
Hop to next section Habitat Information
Distribution South America: from Guyana and eastern Brazil to Peru and Bolivia.
Amazon (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Guyana Waters, Coastal Rivers of Guyanas (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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IUCN Red List Category Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2020.
pH 5.8 - 7.6
Temperature 23.0-28.0°C or 73.4-82.4°F (Show species within this range)
Other Parameters This species is not fussy regarding water parameters.
Hop to next section Husbandry Information
Feeding A nocturnal scavenger. User data.
Furniture Does not harm plants and all is really required is a dark place in which the catfish can find refuge. Care must be taken that this is no where near the heater element as these fish will wedge themselves between the heater and the aquarium wall and may burn themselves.
Compatibility A perfect community tank resident.
Suggested Tankmates As all doradids, does well with its conspecifics and other members of the same family. Can be kept with anything from tetras to medium sized cichlids.
Breeding Unreported.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference Histoire naturelle des poissons v. 15, pp 279.
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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There is but a single record of this fish being seen, view it.
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Last Update 2019 Sep 17 13:45 (species record created: 2001 Apr 19 00:00)