Calophysus Catfish (Calophysus macropterus)
From The Aquarium Wiki
Calophysus Catfish
Calophysus Catfish
Calophysus macropterus
1325 Litres (350 US G.)
30-40 cm (11.8-15.7")
Freshwater
6.0 - 7.4
23.9-28.9°C (75 -84 °F)
5-15 °d
1:1 M:F
8-15 years
Family
Pimelodidae
Contents
Additional names
- Calophysus Catfish, Vulture Catfish, Zamurito, Pintadinho, Piracatinga, Bagre machete, Mapurite
Additional scientific names
- Pimeletropsis lateralis, Pimelodus ctenodus, Pimelodus macropterus
Origin[edit | edit source]
Sexing[edit | edit source]
- Difficult to sex visually. The males are usually somewhat slimmer then the females. No reports of being bred in captivity.
Tank compatibility[edit | edit source]
- Should only be kept with robust fish of similar size or larger. Smaller fish may be preyed upon and this fish has the ability, but rarely will, to fatally attack fish larger than itself. Can be kept with larger species of Plecos and Thorny Catfish, and larger Cichlids.
Diet[edit | edit source]
- A carnivorous catfish, will take meaty foods and fish, and also scavenge.
Feeding regime[edit | edit source]
- Feed once or twice a day.
Environment specifics[edit | edit source]
- Needs a spacious environment with good filtration and hiding places.
Behaviour[edit | edit source]
- An active scavenger, as the common name of Vulture Catfish implies. Will feed on dead, sickly and injured fish. Can be aggressive, and in the wild is known to attack fish caught on fishing lines, and hang on even when both fish are removed from the water.
Identification[edit | edit source]
- The body is elongated and the head is broad. The barbels are flattened with the maxillary pair extending past the end of the adipose fin. The number of spots on the silver-grey body varies greatly between populations.
References[edit | edit source]
Pictures[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
- Fishbase (Mirrors:
)
