Intermediate Woodcat (Tatia intermedia)

Tatia intermedia is a nocturnal woodcat catfish from the Orinoco and Amazon drainages of Venezuela and Brazil, presenting a slim body with attractive brownish marbling over a pale base and a broadly rounded head typical of the family. It spends daylight hours hidden inside submerged hollow wood or cave-like structures and becomes active at night to hunt small invertebrates. Keep with fish too large to be swallowed and provide plenty of secure hiding places for this retiring and largely unseen-by-day species.

House in an aquarium with multiple pieces of hollow driftwood and tubes where the fish can hide during the day. Maintain pH 5.5–7.5, temperature 23–28°C, soft to moderately hard water. Feed nocturnal protein-rich foods: place frozen bloodworm, Artemia, shrimp, or sinking carnivore pellets near hiding places after lights out. Keep with medium to large fish that are too large to be prey. This species is best appreciated in a dimly lit or nocturnal setup.