Taxonomy & naming
Rhinodoras boehlkei Glodek, Whitmire & Orcés V., 1976 is the valid name in the Catalog of Fishes, described from the Río Bobonaza between Montalvo and Chicherato, Ecuador. The epithet is a patronym; the original dedication is not given in the sources available to the atlas.
Morphology
Rhinodoras are thorny catfishes (Doradidae) with a row of bony plates bearing sharp spines along each flank, a long, rather pointed snout, three pairs of barbels, and strong locking spines in the dorsal and pectoral fins. FishBase gives a maximum of 6.5 in TL.
Habitat
FishBase gives its range as the upper Amazon River basin, and lists it as a freshwater, bottom-living tropical fish. The type locality is the Río Bobonaza system in Ecuador.
Feeding
Diet in the wild is not recorded in the sources available to the atlas. Doradids generally feed at night on invertebrates, small fish, fruit and detritus; in the aquarium they accept sinking pellets and frozen foods such as bloodworm and chopped shrimp.
Mating
Mating behaviour is not recorded in the sources available to the atlas.
Breeding
Captive breeding is not recorded in the sources available to the atlas. Doradids in general are rarely bred in aquaria.
In the aquarium
Provide caves, wood and a soft substrate in a spacious tank with some current, and keep it with robust, peaceful tankmates too large to swallow. Handle carefully; the plate spines catch in nets. FishBase gives no temperature, pH or hardness range for this species.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List assessed it as Least Concern in 2014, meaning it is not considered at risk of extinction at present. The effect of collecting and habitat change has not been described.