Megalodoras
uranoscopus (Eigenmann & Eigenmann,
1888)
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| Image
contributors to this species: |
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Danny
Blundell (5) Chris
Ralph (4) Matt Bennallack
(1) BigFrogFeet (3) Graham Layley
(1) |
| ScotCat
Sources: |
  
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| Other
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| Relevant
Information: |
Occurs in small groups
and occasionally forms schools. Inhabits rivers. Is mainly diurnal.
Feeds on the fruits of Licania longipetala and Astrocaryum
jauary. Also feeds on pulmonate snails. 15-18 lateral scutes
that increase in size towards the caudal fin. There are many caudal
fulcra or bony plates. There are no plates above or below the
caudal peduncle. The adipose is described as continuing forward
in the form of a hard keel. This catfish has two pairs of barbels,
one pair maxillary and one pair mandibular.
Despite the size that it can attain it is really
a "Gentle Giant" and can be kept with other large or
medium sized fish. They are not commonly available, if you have
the space for one or more as they do tend to like their own company,
they are well worth obtaining. |
| Common
Name: |
Mother of
Snails Catfish, Giant Raphael Catfish |
| Synonyms: |
Doras uranoscopus,
Hoplodoras uranoscopus, Megalodoras laevigatulus, Doras laevigatulus,
D.libertatis,Pseudodoras huberi, Oxydoras huberi, Megalodoras
libertatis, Megalodoras irwini |
| Family: |
Doradidae blycipitidae |
| Distribution: |
South America:
Amazon, Tocantins and Essequibo River basins. Type locality:
Lake Hyanuary (Brazil). |
| Size:
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61cm.
(24ins) |
| Temp: |
22-26°C
(71-79°F) |
| p.H. |
6.5-7.5. |
| Reference: |
ScotCat Factsheet
no 066: Dec.2001.
Lopez, H.L., R.C. Menni and A.M. Miguelarena 1987
Lista de los peces de agua dulce de la Argentina. Biologia Acuatica
No. 12, 50 p. (Instituto de Limnologia "Dr. Raul A. Ringuelet").
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2009.FishBase.
World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version
(12/2009). |
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