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Hop to next section All Fishes Data Sheet
Scientific Name Rineloricaria melini  (Schindler, 1959)
Common Name Dappled Whiptail Catfish
Type Locality Rio Solimões near Manacapuru,Brazil
Synonym(s) Hemiloricaria melini, Loricariichthys melini
Pronunciation rhine lor ee kar ee ah. - meh LEAN eye
Etymology Greek, rhinos = nose + Latin, lorica, loricare = cuirass of corslet of leather. 
Hop to next section Species Information
Size 130mm or 5.1" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification Compared with most of the whiptail catfishes imported, this species from the Rio Negro in Brazil stands out because of its striking adult colouration. Young fishes still show the inconspicuous juvenile colouration. Only with increasing age the sometimes orange coloured, black margined dappled blotches become clearly visible. The species is sometimes mistakenly identified as H. teffeana from the Rio Tefé in the literature, but agrees in all aspects with the description of H. melini.
Sexing Males grow short spines in the top of their heads and pectoral fins.
General Remarks This species is widely distributed in the middle course of the Rio Negro and is occasionally, but rarely, imported via Manaus.
Hop to next section Habitat Information
Distribution South America: Amazon River basin.
Amazon, Middle Amazon (Solimoes), Negro, Middle Negro (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 2018.
pH 4.5 - 6.5
Other Parameters Soft water is required for this species.
Hop to next section Husbandry Information
Feeding Adaptable omnivores, these fish will eat most foods from cucumber or zucchini slices to frozen bloodworm or dry flake foods. User data.
Furniture The fish should be provided with half-pipe type refuges which also often be used as spawning sites.
Compatibility Peaceful and not territorial.
Breeding Unreported.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference Arkiv för Zoologi v. 12 (no. 26), pp 387, Fig. 1.
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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There are 7 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
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Last Update 2020 Sep 19 02:01 (species record created: 2001 Nov 23 00:00)