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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.

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.

IUCN Red List

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, so it 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. 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

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