Live fish · WA only
Longnose Whiptail Catfish (Sturisoma barbatum)

A long, elegant whiptail that rests on wood like a twig.

Care levelModerate
EasyModerateExpert
Water temperature23 to 27°C
18°C32°C
Adult size20cm
LivesBottom
DietHerbivore
SuitsCommunity tanksLarger tanks

Longnose Whiptail Catfish

Sturisoma barbatum4.8(26)reviews
Moderate carePeaceful
$74.95each, incl. GST
Sold out
Live fish delivery, WA only$35 Perth metro and Mandurah, $65 rest of WA. One fee covers your whole order, plants and dry goods included. Sent overnight on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to a street address (no PO Boxes).
Free pickup in KenwickOpen Tue to Sat, 12pm to 6pm

A long, elegant whiptail that rests on wood like a twig.

Care levelModerate
EasyModerateExpert
Water temperature23 to 27°C
18°C32°C
Adult size20cm
LivesBottom
DietHerbivore
SuitsCommunity tanksLarger tanks

Pairs well with this fish

Picked by our team to go with this.

About this fish

Longnose Whiptail Catfish is a peaceful and unusual bottom-dwelling species known for its elongated snout, slender body, and graceful fin extensions. Its calm behaviour and unique appearance make it an excellent feature fish for planted community aquariums with sandy substrates.

Why you will love it

  • Distinctive longnose and whiptail appearance
  • Peaceful and fascinating bottom-dweller
  • Unique body shape adds character to aquariums
  • Excellent for natural and planted setups
  • Approx size: 10–15 cm
  • Thrives in aquariums with sand and driftwood

Care Requirements

  • Care level: Moderate
  • Adult size: 20 cm
  • Temperature: 23 to 27°C
  • pH: 6.0 to 7.5
  • Swimming level: Bottom
  • Minimum group size: 1+

Feeding:
Accepts sinking pellets, wafers, frozen foods, and live foods including bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp. A varied diet helps maintain health and activity.

Compatibility:
Very peaceful and suitable for calm community aquariums with other non-aggressive species. Best kept with peaceful tetras, rasboras, corydoras, and dwarf cichlids. Avoid aggressive or highly competitive bottom feeders.

School of Scape quality:
We select healthy, active fish and recommend aquariums with soft sand, driftwood, gentle flow, and stable water parameters for best results. Ensure a gradual acclimation to minimise stress to your new fish.

How your fish arrive

Packed in oxygen filled bags inside an insulated box and sent overnight by air express on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Live arrival

8 hour live arrival guarantee. If a fish arrives dead or clearly stressed from transit, contact us within 8 hours of delivery with photos of the fish in the original sealed bag, and we will replace or refund it. Freight is not refundable, and someone needs to be home to accept the delivery. Remote far north WA (Gascoyne, Pilbara and Kimberley) is sent at your own risk.

Read the full policy

Delivery and returns

Free delivery over $100 in WA and $150 elsewhere in Australia. Free pickup from our Kenwick store, Tue to Sat, 12pm to 6pm.

Returns policy

  • 5 stars: 21 (81%)
  • 4 stars: 4 (15%)
  • 3 stars: 1 (4%)
  • 2 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 1 star: 0 (0%)
O
Oliver Thompson
Quality stock

Clearly bred and raised properly. No deformities, great finnage and they ate straight away.

S
Sandra Knight
Good size and health

Decent size on arrival, no signs of stress and acclimated without any issues. Recommend to anyone.

H
Holly Thompson
Good experience

Smooth ordering and the fish were healthy on arrival. Took a couple of days to come out of hiding but totally normal.

M
Mitchell Gray
Recommend

Quality fish at a fair price. Will buy again.

B
Bella Smith
Beautiful fish, fast post

Couldn't be happier. Packed well, posted quickly and arrived looking fantastic.

M
Max Bennett
Great cleanup crew

Constantly grazing and keeping things tidy. Healthy on arrival and settled in quick.

M
Marcus Lyons
Lovely temperament

Peaceful and a great fit for my community setup. They get along with everything else in there.

J
Jarrod Lee
Bigger than expected

Pleasantly surprised at the size when they arrived. Strong, alert and eating within the day. Will definitely order from School of Scape again.

L
Levi Lyons
Happy customer

Arrived safe and sound interstate. The heat pack was a nice touch given the cold snap.

A
Aleisha Bennett
Perfect addition

Added these to my community tank and they fit right in. No aggression, great colour, and the delivery was quicker than I thought it would be living regionally.

I
Indi Turner
Thriving

A few weeks in now and they've coloured up beautifully. Eating everything I offer and very active.

K
Kayla Mason
All survived transit

Every single one made it through delivery to Melbourne in great shape. Carefully bagged and double boxed. Couldn't ask for more.

M
Mikayla Roberts
Top quality stock

You can really tell these are well looked after before shipping. No stress marks, no clamped fins, just healthy fish. This is my third order and the quality is consistent every time.

N
Nicole White
A1

Healthy, hardy and gorgeous.

M
Mikayla Bell
Will order again

Second time buying and just as good as the first. Reliable seller, good communication, healthy livestock.

H
Hannah Wood
Great

Lovely little fish, very active.

D
Daniel Edwards
Great little fish

Bright, active and curious. Always interested in feeding time.

D
Declan Bell
Stunning fish

Wow. Just wow. These settled into my planted tank straight away and are constantly out and about. Packaging was spot on too.

L
Leo Ferguson
Excellent service

Had a small concern about timing and the team responded quickly and sorted it out. Fish arrived perfect. Great customer service makes all the difference.

M
Mitchell Mason
Healthy and active

Arrived in great condition, all swimming happily within an hour of acclimating. Colours are even better than the photos. Really happy with the whole experience.

T
Tahlia Wilson
Love them

Such characters. Always grazing or out the front of the glass.

L
Liam Thompson
Real character

Full of personality and a great addition to my tank. Healthy and active from day one.

M
Megan Scott

Beautiful colouring

K
Kobe Byrne
No complaints

Healthy fish, fair price, packed with care. Exactly what you want.

R
Renee Ellis
Great seller

Communicative and clearly cares about the animals. The fish reflect that.

B
Brayden Gray
Very pleased

Exactly what I was after for my aquascape. Active, colourful and clearly healthy. Acclimation was easy with no losses.