Taxonomy & naming
Steindachner described Wertheimeria maculata in 1877 from the Rio Jequitinhonha in southeastern Brazil. It is one of the thorny catfishes of Doradidae and the type species of its genus. The Catalog of Fishes lists the name as valid.
Morphology
FishBase gives a maximum of 12 in SL. It carries the rows of bony scutes and sharp spines of the thorny catfishes, with spots on the body, matching the epithet maculata, which is Latin for spotted.
Habitat
FishBase lists a freshwater bottom fish of the tropics, found only in the Jequitinhonha basin in Brazil. No temperature, pH or hardness range is cached.
Feeding
No diet is cached. Doradids are nocturnal bottom feeders taking invertebrates, plant matter and small fishes.
Mating
Mating behaviour is not described in the sources used.
Breeding
No breeding record is known to the atlas.
In the aquarium
A 12 in thorny catfish needs a large tank with caves and a smooth sand floor. Move it in a container, since the spines tangle in nets. Keep it away from fishes small enough to be eaten, and feed after dark.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List carries Wertheimeria maculata as Least Concern, assessed in November 2018. Its entire range is one river basin.