Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Pimelodidae (Long-whiskered catfishes)
Etymology: Pseudoplatystoma: Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, platys = flat + Greek, stoma = mouth (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Linnaeus.
Issue
Considered as species inquirenda by some authors. Junior synonym Platystoma punctifer (Buitrago-Suárez, 2006:120) is considered valid by Buitrago-Suárez & Burr, 2007 (Ref. 59362). This species record will be modified.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 4 - 30; potamodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 5 - ? m. Tropical; 24°C - 28°C (Ref. 1672); 8°N - 11°S
South America: Amazon, Corantijn, Essequibo, Orinoco and Paraná River basins.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?, range 53 - ? cm
Max length : 105 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 111728); max. published weight: 70.0 kg (Ref. 35381)
Occurs throughout the principal riverbeds and sometimes in the flooded areas of forests. Its biology is similar to that of P. tigrinum but it appears to be more fond of shady streams. Feeds at night on fish (loricariids, cichlids and characoids) as well as crabs (Ref. 6868). Confines its foraging activities to riverbeds. Its yellowish flesh is succulent and like that of other silurids, it is without bones (Ref. 27188). Females reach a more notable size. They become sexually mature at 56 cm, males at 45 cm. Fecundity is estimated at 8 million eggs per kg (Ref. 35381). Utilized for human consumption. See Loubens and Panfili, 2000 (Ref. 34213) for reproductive biology and ecology.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Lundberg, J.G. and M.W. Littmann, 2003. Pimelodidae (Long-whiskered catfishes). p. 432-446. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil. (Ref. 36506)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
Tools
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