SCOTCAT.COM

your internet guide to all things catfish

Pimelodus grosskopfii Steindachner, 1879

Image contributors to this species:

Mark Henry Sabaj (2) Frank Alvarez (2) Erlend D Bertelsen (1)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Description: The differences between this species and P. grosskopfii is that Pimelodus grosskopfii (bottom) is easily distinguished from the undescribed Pimelodus by having a more slender body and longer adipose fin. Seems to be quite a large species for this genera. Habitat: This species is endemic to Colombia, where it is known from the Magdalena, Cauca, San Jorge, Sinú, and Cesar rivers in the Magdalena-Cauca basin (Maldonado-Ocampo et al. 2005, 2008, Mojica et al. 2012). In the Santander Department, it has been found in the Sogamoso and Lebrija rivers and Paredes floodplain lake (Castellanos-Morales et al. 2011). Its type locality is Río Cauca, Colombia (Steindachner 1879). Aquarium Care: Not known in the hobby but like all Pimelodus species it can not be trusted with small fish such as tetras as they will pick them of at night on their forays. Diet: Most aquarium fare such as tablet, flake, worm and frozen foods. Etymology: The specific name grosskopfii: In honour of Th. Grosskopf (no other information available), who collected specimens in Colombia for the Berlin Museum, including holotype of this catfish.

Common Name:

Capaz

Synonyms:

Pimelodus longifilis

Family:

Pimelodidae

Distribution:

South America: Magdalena River basin and Lake Maracaibo basins. Type locality: aus dem Cauca [Colombia].

Size:

38.0cm T.L. (15ins)

Temp:

20-24°C (67-75°F)

p.H.

6.5-7.5.

IUCN Red List

Pimelodus grosskopfii has a wide range. However, it is heavily affected by overfishing in all of its range. Fishing reports indicate that the volume of capture in the Magdalena River has declined by 90% in 30 years. Between 1994 and 2009, catch rates have declined by more than 90%. This impact has not ceased, and the reduction in population over three generations (i.e., 15 years) is thus estimated to be more than 80%. Hence, the species is listed as Critically Endangered under criterion A2d, and needs updating, (IUCN 2016).

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. 2015. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 04/2015 ).
Perez, S. Mark. Per. comm. 2015.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.
Villa-Navarro, F., Usma, S., Mesa-Salazar, L. & Sanchez-Duarte, P. 2016. Pimelodus grosskopfii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.

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

Pimelodus grosskopfii
Colombia, Río Cauca in Honda, Tolima

Pimelodus grosskopfii
Pimelodus grosskopfii bottom and Pimelodus sp. "Rio Guarino" top

Pimelodus grosskopfii
Colombia, Río la Miel, Corregimiento San Miguel, Municipio Sonsón, Antioquia, 21-10-2011

Pimelodus grosskopfii
Colombia, Río Cauca, Puente Real, Santa Fe Antioquia, Antioquia, 23-09-2012

Pimelodus grosskopfii
Rio Magdalena, 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.