SCOTCAT.COM

your internet guide to all things catfish

Megalonema xanthum Eigenmann, 1912

Image contributors to this species:

Frank Alvarez (2)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Description: Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal soft rays: 13 - 16; Vertebrae: 45 - 48. Total vertebrae 45-48 including Weberian complex. Aquarium Care: A tank of at least 3ft x 18ins x 18ins with a medium water flow and weekly water changes. Diet: Wormfoods, shellfish and other meaty or insect-based foods. Feed 2 to 3 times per week. Etymology: The genus name Megalonema: Greek, megas, megalos = great + Greek, nema = filament. The specific name xanthum: xanthos, yellow, referring to its colouration in life. Remarks: This species is listed as Least Concern because it has a relatively wide distribution and it is unlikely that any major threat is affecting its population. Monitoring of its population is recommended as it is a rare species and there may be unnoticed threats affecting it (IUCN 2016).

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Pimelodidae

Distribution:

South America: Magdalena River basin, Colombia. Type locality: Girardot [Colombia].

Size:

16.0cm. (6¼ins)

Temp:

22-27°C (71-81°F)

p.H.

6.0-7.2.

Reference:

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2023. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 06/2023 ).
Grant, Steven. Pims. Pimelodidae, Heptapteridae and Pseudopimelodidae Catfishes. ATS-Aquashop.de 2021 219p.
Jimenez-Segura, L., Mojica, J. & Alonso, J. C. 2016. Megalonema xanthum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.
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.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.

Family: Pimelodidae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Megalonema xanthum
Cauca and Espiritu Santo River Confluences, Valdivia Municipality, Antioquia, Colombia

Megalonema xanthum
Dorsal view-Cauca and Espiritu Santo River Confluences, Valdivia Municipality, Antioquia, Colombia

If you would like to contribute to the monthly factsheets with an article, information or photos, please e-mail me. You will of course be credited for your work.

If you would like to donate any denomination of monies to the site just click the above link button. All proceeds will go to running the site and hopefully to keep it going for a few years yet.