Home
 What's New
 About
 Preface
 Introduction
 Fish Anatomy
 Water Chemistry
 The Aquarium
 Plant Care
 Plant Species
 Food
 Disease
 Biotope Aquaria
   Ecosystems
   Country Database
 Fish Species
   Catfish
   Characins
   Cichlids
   Cyprinds
   Killifish
   Labyrinth Fish
   Livebearers
   Loaches
   Others
   Perches
   Rainbowfish
 Non-fish Species
 Breeding Fish
 Aquarium Photos
 Languages
   Chinese
   Croatian
   Finnish
   German
   Japanese
   Portuguese
   Spanish
 Bibliography
 Links
 Resources
 Rainforests
 Books
 Mongabay Sites
   Kids site
   Travel Tips
 News
 Contact



dog videos, cat videos, puppy videos, kitten videos, pet videos
Catfish / Pimelodidae / Bumble Bee Catfish

Bumble Bee Catfish
Pseudopimelodus raninus | Pictures


Synonyms: Batrachoglanis raninus, Pimelodus raninus
Physical description:
Size/Length: To 6" (15 cm)
Similar species: Other Pseudopimelodus species
S: bottom
Habitat: South America; widespread in the Amazon river from Surinam to Peru
Aquarium: A 40" (102 cm) tank with a capacity from 45-55 gallons (170-209 L) is sufficient.   The tank can be well-planted and should be furnished with several retreats.   Dim lighting is suggested.
Water chemistry: pH 5.8-7.5 (6.7), 2-20 dH (8), 70-81°F (21-27°C)
Social behavior: A seclusive predator that may consume fish up to 3" (8 cm) in length.   This nocturnal species may disappear for long periods. Can be kept singly or in groups.
Suggested companions: Angelfish, Acaras, Cichlasoma from Central America, Loricarids, Leporinus, Anostomus, Chalceus, Myleus, Metynnis, Pimelodus, Knifefish
FOOD: Live; worms, crustaceans, fish, insect larvae, aquatic insects; tablets.
SEX: Males are said to be slimmer than females.
Breeding techniques: Unsuccessful.
Breeding potential: 10. Has yet to be bred in aquaria.
Remarks: As a result of this species's wide distribution, several different forms exist.   Thus the species has been broken down into sub-species.
Difficulty of care: 5. This subtle predator is quite hardy and adaptable to a broad range of water properties.

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.





what's new | tropical fish home | rainforests | news | search | about | contact



Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2009

The copy for fish.mongabay.com was written in 1994-1995. Therefore some information such as scientific names may be out of date. For this, I apologize. Feel free to send corrections to me.