Genus · Catfish

Tatia

Tatia is a genus with 17 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Catfish section, recorded from Brazil, Colombia, Suriname and 5 more countries. Adult sizes run from 1 in to 6.5 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
17
Adult sizes
1–6.5 in
IUCN assessed
17 of 17
Recorded from
8 countries

About the genus

Tatia is a genus of driftwood (woodcat) catfish in the family Auchenipteridae, found across the Amazon and Orinoco basins and the Guiana Shield, with atlas records from Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The 17 species in the atlas span a wide size range, from about 2.3 to nearly 6.5 in, and share the auchenipterid build: a smooth, scaleless, somewhat elongated body, an adipose fin, and long barbels suited to a nocturnal, mostly mid-water lifestyle among submerged wood and leaf litter. Like other driftwood catfish, Tatia species are internally fertilizing — males have a modified anal fin used to transfer sperm to females, an unusual reproductive strategy among catfish.

Several Tatia species, including Tatia brunnea and T. gyrinus (traded as the ninja or dwarf driftwood catfish), have a following in the aquarium hobby as small, peaceful, nocturnal catfish suited to well-decorated community tanks with plenty of wood and cover. They are generally easy keepers once established but shy and secretive, spending daylight hours hidden and becoming active only after lights-out, which limits how often they are seen even in tanks that house them successfully. Most assessed species in the atlas are Least Concern, and the genus as a whole is not considered a conservation priority, though several species remain Not Evaluated or Data Deficient across its wide Amazonian range.

IUCN Red List: Least Concern · 10 Data Deficient · 1 Not Evaluated · 6

The 17 species

Every Tatia recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources. 2 have hobbyist breeding reports (◉).

Souza e Souza, Sarmento-Soares, Canto & Ribeiro, 2020

2 in SL · LC

(Kner, 1858)

6.5 in SL · LC

Koch & Reis, 1996

2.5 in SL · LC

Mees, 1974

Ninja woodcat

4.5 in SL · LC

Vari & Ferraris, 2013

1.5 in SL · NE

DoNascimiento, Albornoz-Garzón & García-Melo, 2019

4 in SL · NE

Sarmento-Soares & Martins-Pinheiro, 2008

1.5 in SL · LC

Mees, 1974

3 in SL · LC

(Fowler, 1945)

4.5 in SL · NE

Mees, 1974

3 in TL · NE

(Eigenmann & Allen, 1942)

Dwarf driftwood catfish

1.5 in SL · LC

(Steindachner, 1877)

Driftwood catfish

5 in SL · LC

Pavanelli & Bifi, 2009

Bagre-sapo

2.5 in SL · LC

Vari & Ferraris, 2013

1 in SL · DD

Royero, 1992

Ninja catfish, Mosaic driftwood catfish

4 in TL · NE

Mees, 1974

Spotted driftwood catfish

2.5 in SL · NE

Mees, 1974

Violet Spotted Woodcat, Reticulated Driftwood Catfish

1.5 in SL · LC

Explore further

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Tatia. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/tatia/

← All Catfish