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 e have finely reached the 300 factsheets mark on ScotCat from over the last 24 years (1997 to 2021), and so on to the 300th factsheet for June 2021 which takes us to the popular Loricariidae family and a look at one of the largest whiptails around, namely the Giant Whiptail Catfish or Broadhead whiptail, Pseudohemiodon laticeps. The specific name of laticeps actually translates to "broad head".

Pseudohemiodon laticeps

Pseudohemiodon laticeps is found in the Uruguay, Paraná and Paraguay River basins with the type locality being Paraguay. The specimens which come from northern Brazil are said to be Pseudohemiodon platycephalus (Kner, 1853) and the species which have been bred as P. laticeps are probably P. platycephalus instead (Evers, H.-G. & I. Seidel 2005).

Pseudohemiodon laticeps - Head view with sand particles on head

Pseudohemiodon laticeps has a very unusual mouth with fringed lips as can be seen on the upper image. The male carries the yellow eggs in this structure (abdomino-lip brooders).

Distrbution: The Paraná Basin stretches from the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso in the north to northern Argentina and Uruguay in the south. The southern portion in Uruguay is locally known as Norte Basin. Type locality: Paraguay.

Giant Whiptail Catfish, Broadhead whiptail

Loricaria laticeps

Loricarinae

South America: Uruguay, Paraná and Paraguay River basins. Type locality: Paraguay.

30.0cm. (12ins)

18-24°c (63-75°f.)

Head large and triangular with a broad head with mouth and lip barbels. The body is strongly depressed and covered with bony plates. Maxillary barbels conspicuous, reaching gill opening. The lips are heavily fringed, but the lower surface of the head is naked. The upper caudal lobe is extended into a long filament. The pelvic fins are used mainly for locomotion on sand.

Requires a large aquarium with a big surface area and a sand substrate. If specimens are imported from southeastern Brazil or Paraguay they will prefer cooler temperatures in the aquarium. Provide a good water flow in the aquarium. Provide some shaded areas for this species as they don't like a brightly lit aquarium. Will eat small bottom living fishes and fry but are fine with species that are on the mid to upper layers of the aquarium.

The male carries the yellow eggs in this structure (abdomino-lip brooders). After approximately 12-14 days the larvae hatch with a huge yolk sac. It is absorbed over the next two days and the young can be fed Artemia nauplii preferably in a dedicated aquarium. Keep the oxygen levels high as losses can occur if this is not adhered to.

Mature males will develop their lower lips to allow them to carry their eggs (abdomino-lip brooders). Out with the breeding season the sexual differences are not apparent but males may be smaller than the females.

Algae wafers, sinking tablet and frozen foods such as bloodworm and shrimp.

Caudal: The tail.
Gills: The organs utilised to obtain oxygen from the water.
Maxillary Barbels: Pertaining to the upper jaw. (maxillary barbels).
Pelvic fins: The paired fins, between the pectorals and the anal fins. (also referred to as ventrals).
Yolk sac: In embryos and early fish larvae, a bag-like ventral extension of the gut containing nutritive materials.

Pseudohemiodon: Pseudos = fallacy; hemi = half; odon, odontos = tooth.
laticeps: Broad head.

Evers, H.-G. & I.Seidel: Mergus, Baensch Catfish Atlas Volume 1, 1st English edn., 2005. Pp.944.
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Sandford, Gina & Crow, Richard: The Interpet Manual of Tank Busters: An introduction to keeping and displaying large and impressive fish in the aquarium. 160p Hardcover. 1996.
Sleen, van der Peter and Albert, S. James; Field guide of the Amazon, Orinoco & Guianas. Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford. 2018.

Photo Credits

© Benjamin Stowell
© Birger Kamprath
Map by GeoPotinga - Modified by GeoPotinga from Nasa original South America satellite plane.jpg in public domain.