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Catfish
/ Pimelodidae / Spotted Pimelodus
Spotted Pimelodus
Pimelodus maculatus | Pictures
Synonyms: Pimelodus
clarias, P. rigidus, Piramutana macrospila, Pseudorhamdia piscatrix, Silurus clarias
Physical description: An elongated catfish that has long barbels extending for the mouth.
The body is brownish-sliver in color
with many large, brown spots. The fins match the body color.
The mouth is wide and three pair of whiskers
extend from it.
It has a large head and the tail is forked.
Size/Length: To 10" (25 cm), although not usually more than 7" (18 cm) in captivity.
Similar species: Dusky Pimelodus (
Pimelodus blochi), Pictus Catfish (
Pimelodus pictus
)
Habitat: South AmericA: the Rio Velhas (Brazil) to the Rio Paraguay (Paraguay).
S: bottom
Aquarium: 48" (122 cm) or 50 or more gallons (190 L).
See
P. pictus.
Water chemistry: pH 6.8-7.8 (7.4); 4-20 dH (12); 68-75°F (20-24°C)
Social behavior: A group fish that gets along well with large community fish, such as Angels or other
Cichlids.
Smaller fish (under 2.5" or 6.4 cm) will be eaten by this nocturnal predator.
Suggested companions: Central and South American cichlids, large characins, Arawana.
FOOD: Live; earthworms, fish,
Tubifex, insect larvae; tablets; chopped
meat.
SEX: Females are plumper and larger than males.
Breeding techniques: Unsuccessful, possibly because fish do not reach maturity in aquaria.
Breeding potential: 10.
Breeding has not been recorded in captivity.
Remarks: This catfish has serrated pectoral fins that easily get caught in a net or pierce the
skin.
The Spotted Pimelodus has the ability to make an audible, creaking sound.
Difficulty of care: 5.
A hardy catfish that requires an occasional feeding of live foods.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
How to save the world's oceans from overfishing
(7/8/2007) Global fishing stocks are in trouble. After expanding from 18 millions tons in 1950 to around 94 million tons in 2000, annual world fish catch has leveled off and may even be declining. Scientists estimate that the number of large predatory fish in the oceans has fallen by 90 percent since the 1950s, while about one-quarter of the world's fisheries are overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion. Despite these dire trends, the situation is changing. Today some of the world's largest environmental groups are focused on addressing the health of marine life and oceans, while sustainable fisheries management is at the top of the agenda for intergovenmental bodies. At the forefront of these efforts is Mike Sutton, director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's conservation program: the Center for the Future of the Oceans. The aquarium, which has long been recognized as one of the world's most important marine research facilities, is pioneering new strategies for protecting the planet's oceans. Sutton says the approach has four parts: establishing new marine protected areas, pushing for ocean policy reform, promoting sustainable seafood, and protecting wildlife and marine ecosystems.
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