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Catfish
/ Pimelodidae / Shovelnose Catfish
Shovelnose Catfish
Sorubim lima | Pictures
Synonyms: Platystoma
lima, P. luceri, Silurus lima, Sorubim luceri
Physical description: This catfish has an elongated body and a long snout. Its mouth is large and looks like
a duck-bill. Three pair of long barbels extend from it. This fish is slender and its body coloring is brown. A
thick dark brown to black line extends the length of the body, from the end of the snout to the tip of the tail.
A thin white to beige colored line is located right above the darker one. The belly is white and the fins are transparent.
The eyes are relatively small.
Size/Length: To 30" (75 cm) in nature, not usually more than 18" (45 cm) in captivity.
Similar species: None
S: bottom
Habitat: South America; the Amazon River in Columbia, Brazil, and Peru; to Paraguay.
Aquarium: 40" (100 cm) or 45-55 gallons (170-209 L) is suitable for small individuals
under 10" (25 cm). When full-grown, this fish requires a larger tank.
Like most catfish, the Shovelnose Catfish
prefers shallow tanks.
The tank should have large, open swimming areas.
The tank should be dimly lit, with a
cover of floating plants.
Use large, sturdy, well-rooted plants.
Small plants will be hopelessly buried or up-rooted.
Provide
sturdy hiding places with caves, rocks, or wood.
Use fine gravel as a substrate.
Water chemistry: pH 6.2-7.5 (6.8), 6-18 dH (8), 72-86°F (22-30°C)
Social behavior: An active nocturnal predator that will eat smaller tank mates.
Combine only with other large, hardy
fish.
Can be kept in groups or singly.
Suggested companions: Anostomus,
Colossosma, Metynnis, Myleus, Serrasalmus, Chalceus, Acestrorhynchus, Crenicichla,
Cichlasomines,
Cichla, Astronotus
FOOD: Live fish; earthworms; other large live foods; tablets; chopped meat.
SEX: Unknown
Breeding techniques: Unknown
Breeding potential: 10.
Spawning in captivity has not been recorded.
Remarks: Another catfish used for eating in its native lands.
Difficulty of care: 7.
This predator reaches a large size and must be fed 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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