Order Siluriformes
Family Doradidae ( Thorny catfishes )
Genus Agamyxis.
— Agamyxis albomaculatus [Peters, 1877]. (Eng. Spiny Catfish). Amazon basin (Brazil, Peru) near overgrown banks and in shallow waters rich in driftwood and fallen trees. Length up to 16 cm, in the aquarium no more than 10 cm. The body is powerful, elongated, with a large triangular profile, flattened from top to bottom. The head is large with 3 pairs of barbels.
The body, starting from the dorsal fin, gradually narrows, forming a narrow caudal peduncle. Hard bony plates cover more than half of the flank (absent only at the top and bottom of the caudal peduncle). The dorsal fin is triangular in shape, the first ray is equipped with serrations. The adipose fin is small. The anal fin is large, well developed. The caudal fin is rounded in shape.
The pectoral fin has a long, powerful, and serrated first ray; the pelvic fins are small and rounded. The body and fins are brownish-black in color, covered with rounded yellow spots, on the caudal fin they merge into 2 rows of transverse stripes. In juveniles, the spots are shiny white. The barbels have alternating dark and light stripes. The male is slimmer, the female has a large shapeless belly.
Fish are peaceful bottom dwellers, spending the day in shelters, and at dusk they search the bottom for food. They can be kept in a general aquarium, which should have shelters (caves, driftwood, plant thickets) providing shade in places. Prefers subdued lighting and a thick layer of substrate. It willingly digs in it in search of food.
They eat any live food, 20% of the diet should be plant-based food. When feeding, you must remember that Agamyxis take food from the bottom and ensure that fish inhabiting the middle and upper water layers do not eat someone else’s portion.
Reaches sexual maturity at the age of 2 years. In terms of growth rate, females outpace males by half. Life expectancy, depending on aquarium conditions, can reach 17 years. T 25-30°С; dH 5-20°; pH 6.0-7.0.
— Agamyxis pectinifrons [Cope, 1870]. (Eng. Spotted Raphael Catfish, Spotted Talking Catfish, Thorny Catfish, White Spotted Doradid, White Barred Catfish). Synonym: Doras pectinifrons, flavopictus. South America, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil. 10-13 cm. Small, sturdy, peaceful catfish with a flattened body. Three pairs of barbels. The pectoral and dorsal fins have strongly thickened first rays with well-developed spines, stings are very painful.
In juveniles, the main background color is dark brown to bluish-black, with numerous pale spots ranging from shiny white to pale yellow on the head and body. The underside is somewhat lighter and also has spots. The fins are dark, with pale stripes and spots that can form transverse bands.
Adult fish are almost uniformly dark brown with white spots on the belly. Males are smaller, more contrastingly colored, and their barbels have pronounced speckles. Females ready for spawning have a large sagging belly.
Peaceful, nocturnal. Can be kept in a general aquarium in a small group, may eat small fish. Typically a bottom-dwelling species, needs shelters made of driftwood and caves. They become active at dusk, so the aquarium needs moderate lighting. Adult Agamyxis can lie in one place (in a shelter) for weeks without visible movement. If there are many shelters and darkened areas in the aquarium, this fish can also be observed during the day.
Areas of the substrate made of a thick layer of fine sand so the catfish has a place to dig; it likes to hide in soft substrate. They do not harm plants. When disturbed, they produce distinct grunting and hissing sounds. Do not catch with a net: the catfish gets tangled in the mesh by the awl-shaped outgrowths of its bony plates. Use a glass or plastic container for transportation. Hardy and tolerant of a wide range of water conditions. Prefer slightly acidic and soft water. Filtration, aeration, weekly water changes.
They will eat live and frozen foods: bloodworms, earthworms, and tubifex, as well as flakes or sinking tablets. They eat snails and can be used to clean the aquarium in case of snail overpopulation. Prefer to feed immediately before or after turning off the lights in the aquarium. Males can participate in spawning only in their third year of life. Live up to 10 years. pH 6.0-7.0; dH 3-10°; T 22-28°С.
Platydoras armatulus, Platydoras costatus.
Acanthodoras spinosissimus, Acanthodoras cataphractus. 
