SCOTCAT.COM

your internet guide to all things catfish

Pimelodus maculatus Lacepède, 1803

Image contributors to this species:

Allan James (2) Enrico Richter (1) Johnny Jensen's Photographic Library (2) Felipe Cantera (1) Julio Endler (1) Sebastián Preisz (1)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Not seen too often in the hobby. There is a great variety of colour and spotted markings in this species. Aquarium Care: Quite a pretty looking member of the Pimelodidae family which can grow quite large for your average community tank so would need a tank of at least 5 '0" (150cm) long if kept in a group. Provide hiding places for this 'pim' and you will be able to see it on the odd occasions when food is introduced. Peaceful species but not to be trusted with small fish such as tetras as they will pick them of at night on their forays so they must be kept with species larger or compatible with it such as barbs, gouramis, cichlids and other South American catfish. Diet: Most aquarium fare such as tablet, flake, worm and frozen foods. Etymology: The specific name maculatus: Latin for spotted, referring to its colour pattern.

Common Name:

Spotted Pim

Synonyms:

Pimelodus clarias maculatus

Family:

Pimelodidae

Distribution:

South America: Paraná and São Francisco River basins. Type locality: Le grand fleuve de la Plata, Buénos-Ayres, ainsi qu’à la Encenada.

Size:

36.0cm. (14ins)

Temp:

20-24°C (67-75°F)

p.H.

6.5-7.5.

IUCN Red List

Although there is a possibility that Pimelodus maculatus is a species complex, it was assessed as a single species that, due to its wide distribution in South America, abundance, and frequency, was categorised as Least Concern (LC), (IUCN 2022).

Reference:

Baensch, H.A. and R. Riehl 1985 Aquarien atlas. Band 2. Mergus, Verlag für Natur- und Heimtierkunde GmbH, Melle, Germany. 1216 p.
Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio). 2022. Pimelodus maculatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022.
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Sands, David. Catfishes of the World, Vol 3 Auchenipteridae & Pimelodidae, Dunure Publications 1984.

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

Pimelodus maculatus

Pimelodus maculatus

Pimelodus maculatus
Specimen from Paraguay

Pimelodus maculatus

Pimelodus maculatus
Specimen from Uruguay

Pimelodus maculatus
Caught near Carmen del Paraná, Paraguay

Pimelodus maculatus
La Balandra Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

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.