Habitat: Pelagic
species which lives in schools near the surface of
the water. Found over soft muddy bottoms. Juveniles
inhabit the lower part of streams in estuaries, and
adults are found more upstream. Description:
Has no teeth in its jaws but possesses many long gill
rakers that are used as a sieve for feeding on planktonic
crustaceans like cladocerans, copepods and ostracods.
Also feeds on debris, and other plankton. Appears
to follow the plankton's vertical movements during
the day. Reproduction: Ovaries start
to develop in November when the water level rises.
Fractional spawning occurs between February and April.
The female lays down 50,000 to 100,000 eggs according
to its weight. Remarks:
Because they are a filter feeder they are not really
suitable for the home aquarium (Grant, Steven 2021).
Common
Name:
Highwaterman Catfish
Synonyms:
None
Family:
Pimelodidae
Distribution:
South America:
Chipiri River, Mamore Drainage, Bolivia.
Hypophthalmus sp. 'Rio Mamore' Chipiri River, Mamore Drainage, Bolivia
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