Home / Fishes / Catfish / Chocolate-colored catfish
No federal permit to keepChocolate-colored catfish
Rineloricaria lanceolata
Fishes › Catfish (Siluriformes) › Loricariidae (Plecos)
Rineloricaria lanceolata, commonly known as the chocolate-colored catfish or the chocolate whiptail catfish, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Loricariidae, the suckermouth…
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 4.8 in / 12.3 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 77–82°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 6–8.
- Hardness: 5–19 dGH.
- Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 77–82 °F, pH 6–8, 5–20 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament peaceful.
- Difficulty: Easy (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “A biotope setup can consist, very simply, of a layer of sand over which is scattered a layer of dried leaves (oak and beech are non- toxic and work particularly well).”
- Diet: “Feeds on aufwuchs and small aquatic crustaceans in nature.”
- Tankmates: “One of the most peaceful catfish around, these can be combined with many other species.”
- Breeding: “If kept in suitable conditions and fed well, the fish will breed quite easily, although the fry can be a little tricky to raise.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Plecos (suckermouth catfish)
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: South American rivers. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Driftwood (some species rasp it for fiber), caves and good flow.
- Common plecos reach 18–24 in; many smaller species stay under 6 in.
Diet
- Algae wafers and vegetables for herbivores; meaty foods for carnivorous species.
Health watch
- Starvation if they're expected to live on algae alone.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
This catfish has a wide distribution in the Amazon, Orinoco, Tocantins-Araguaia and Paraguay river basins and has also been recorded in the lower reaches of the Paraná River. It has been recorded from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Rineloricaria lanceolata” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater. Stays near the bottom. Aquarium keeping: feeds on plants and roots; minimum aquarium size 80 cm. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 77–82 °F (25–28 °C), pH 6–8, hardness 5–19 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 77–82 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 90°F (up to 93°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 63°F (down to 55°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 74–80°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 73–83% on average (driest month about 70%) |
| Rainfall | about 1779 mm a year |
Measured at 335 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Rineloricaria lanceolata, commonly known as the chocolate-colored catfish or the chocolate whiptail catfish, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Loricariidae, the suckermouth armored catfishes, and the subfamily Loricariinae, the mailed catfishes. This catfish has a wide distribution in the Amazon, Orinoco, Tocantins-Araguaia and Paraguay river basins and has also been recorded in the lower reaches of the Paraná River. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Biology | Facultative air-breathing in the genus; Aquarium keeping: feeds on plants and roots; minimum aquarium size 80 cm. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional diseases of fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Seriously Fish — Ancistrus sp. “3” / common bristlenose identification Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
More plecos
Ancistrus claro
Ancistrus claro
Aquarium hobby
Baryancistrus chrysolomus
Baryancistrus chrysolomus
Aquarium hobby
Baryancistrus demantoides
Baryancistrus demantoides
Aquarium hobby
Bushymouth catfish
Ancistrus dolichopterus
Aquarium hobby
Chaetostoma formosae
Chaetostoma formosae
Aquarium hobby
Common Whiptail Catfish
Rineloricaria eigenmanni
Aquarium hobby