The native land Akantodoras chocolate (Acanthodoras cataphractus) is the South America a river basin of Amazon. These small fishes can publish sounds a bit similar on croak. They help them to find to themselves the partner, and also to warn about danger.

Trunk acanthodoras cataphractus as well as acanthodoras spinosissimus, it is slightly extended at length, wide and flat, narrowed to a tail stalk. On a large head there are small eyes, a final mouth and three pairs moustaches. Firm bone plates, close more than half of side (are absent only from above and from below a tail stalk). The fatty fin small, tail has the roundish form. The basic color trunks shokoladno-brown. Along a body pass longitudinal strips of orange colour: the first on a side from an eye and prior to the beginning of the tail fin, the second - along a back. The paunch and the bottom part of a head is light brown colour with yellow rough lines and light points around an anal fin. All fins light brown with points of chocolate colour. Sexual differences: the male - more small and more harmonously, is painted more contrastly, a paunch of is dark-marble colour, short moustaches brownish with light rings, a female - a paunch grey-brown, short moustaches light yellow. At length the nature acanthodoras cataphractus can reach 20 sm, in an aquarium 12 see Live in bondage till 10 years.

Acanthodoras cataphractus - a peaceful and unpretentious small fish. Hide in shelters in the afternoon or bury in a ground, activity show with approach of twilight. Acanthodoras cataphractus gets on with various kinds of fishes. Lives in the bottom sheets of water.

The aquarium is necessary for the maintenance acanthodoras cataphractus with volume from 100 l with dense thickets of live plants and various shelters (snags, caves from stones etc.). Prefers the muffled illumination and a thick layer of earth. In it it willingly rummages in food searches. Parametres of water for its maintenance: rigidity 2-20 °, рН 6.0-7.5, temperature 20 - 26°С. The filtration, aeration and weekly substitution to 30 % of volume of water are necessary.

Acanthodoras cataphractus uses in food dry, live (bloodworms, tubifex, koretra) and a vegetative forage (20-30 %).

Akantodoras chocolate (Acanthodoras cataphractus), Family: catfish Doradidae

The aquarium is necessary for spawning acanthodoras cataphractus with the muffled illumination in length from 60 sm and various shelters. On a bottom establish a separator grid. On it stack synthetic fibres (it is possible to use rough to a bast). Water is necessary for using old with addition of the fresh. Parametres: rigidity to 10 °, рН 5.8 - 7.0, temperature 26 - 28°С. The female throws to 1000 rigid berries (in the form of opened parachute) which are pasted to a substratum. During spawning in water plentiful sexual products are allocated and to raise an exit fry water it is necessary to change (add in water to 5 mg/l methylene a blue and 2 g/l table salt). The incubatory period lasts 24-48 hours. To float and eat fry acanthodoras cataphractus begin for 4-6 days. A starting forage: nauplii a Cyclops.