Pimelodus
pictus Steindachner,
1876
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he "Pictus cat" is the most popular member of
the 300 or so species of the Pimelodidae family and as
such is well recommended for a community tank of mid-sized fish
as long as they are not "Neon Tetra" size as they will
be picked off when they are enjoying their night-time cruises.
They use their very long barbels for rooting around the
bottom for food and they may cause a bit of disruption in their
quest for a bite to eat! Another point to take into consideration
is their sharp pectoral and dorsal spines as they can puncture
your skin if handled carelessly and of course they can easily
puncture the fish bags that they are transported in from the aquarist
shop to your home, so a plastic container would probably be best
for this task. I found out first hand of the difficulty of transporting
"Pims" from Peru when on a collecting trip last year
(2000) as they were constantly piercing the sides of the plastic
bags and I lost the specimens that I was transporting due to this
trait.
You can sometimes see this fish captioned in the aquatic outlets
as "Angelicus cats" which is a bit of a misnomeener
as Synodontis angelicus from Africa is usually given this
common name and it would seem that this name was given when they
were first imported in the 1960's with the invalidated scientific
name of "Pimelodella angelicus".
The picture above shows you the extreme lengths
of the maxillary barbels which can sweep back to the end of
the caudal fin.This genus has been in confusion for a good number
of years now especially with another close member of the family,
Pimelodella, below are the following characteristics
from the two genera.
Pimelodella : Adipose fin long, low with a curved margin.
The humeral process is long and spikey.
Body usually plain with a dark lateral stripe; rather depressed
body.
Pimelodus: Adipose fin short, high, with a straight
or sloping margin. Humeral process broad, triangular.
Body variously patterned, usually quite deep, like Synodontis.
Acknowledgements : Thanks to Leigh Murphy for the inclusion
of his Pimelodus pictus photographs.
Surface of head covered with thin skin. The occipital process
has a broad base then tapers posteriorly where it comes in contact
with the predorsal plate. The frontal fontanel does not extend
posteriorly beyond the level of the eyes. The barbels are long
and cylindrical, the maxillary barbels extending to the base of
the caudal fin. Dorsal fin has a strong spine and 6 rays. The
caudal fin is large, deeply forked and the lobes sharply pointed.
Silver body with black spots and reticulations. Spots smaller
on head. Black stripes to caudal fin. Black spots in dorsal and
adipose fins.
They do make a nice addition to a mid-sized community tank. A
few journals quote that you can keep them singly but in my experience
they are never very happy in this scenario and do prefer a few
of their own companions , at least 4 should suffice. They apparently
don't take too kindly to hard water, as my own supply is very
soft I don't have that problem. Not recommended for a community
tank of mid-sized fish as long as they are not "Neon Tetra"
size as they will be picked off when they are enjoying their night-time
cruises.
No instances have been recorded as yet.
Not a problem as they will eat just about anything. They do like
earthworms and other meaty foods such as whiteworm, and frozen
bloodworm. Tablet food is also greedily taken.
| Etymology |
Pimelodus:
Pimel = fat; odus = tooth.
pictus : Painted
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| Glossary
of Terms: |
Maxillary barbels
: Pertaining to the upper jaw. (maxillary barbels)
Humeral process : Bony extension of the
pectoral girdle.
Occipital process : A median bone on the
upper surface of the back of the head; pertaining to the
occiput.
Fontanel : The space(s) between the bones
on top of the skull covered by skin.
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| Reference |
Howes, Gordon. A Note on Pimelodella
and Pimelodus, C.A.G.B.
Baench, Aquarium Atlas
2, 1993.
Burgess E.Warren Dr. Atlas of Freshwater
& Marine Catfishes 1989.
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| Photo
Credits |
Leigh Murphy
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