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Pereira, L.A et al (1) Cleo Lobato (1)

Description: Maximum recorded length 1400 mm TL. Anterior region of head pointed. Widest measurement at dorsal origin. Ventral region of body forming a straight line. Profile posterior to the dorsal fin decreasing gradually in depth toward the adipose and caudal fins. Dark pigmentation in dorsolateral region and extending to lateral line. Ventral to lateral line, pale, varying from whitish to yellowish. Dark straight vertical bars with pale short lines attached. No loops in specimens smaller than 500 mm SL. Some (3) individuals with spots on dorsal region of head. Caudal, dorsal, and anal fins with few spots. Dusky pigmentation on dorsal region of pectoral fin, pale ventrally. Posterodorsal region of head rough, smooth anteriorly. Anterior nostrils tubular and whitish / yellowish, posterior one with a flap with a whitish edge. Maxillary barbels long, extending beyond pectoral fin, posterior mental barbels (or chin barbels) reaching pelvic fin origin. There has been 5 new species described by Buitrago-Suárez, U.A. and B.M. Burr in 2007, to go alongside P. tigrinum, P. fasciatum and P. corruscans. These species are P. punctifer (Castelnau), P. reticulatum Eigenmann & Eigenmann, P. orinocoense, P. metaense, and P. magdaleniatum. So far P. punctifer is the only species that has not been accepted in some publications in print and on the internet. Two species (P. punctifer ? and P. tigrinum) are sympatric in the Amazon Basin, two (P. metaenseand P. orinocoense) are sympatric in the Orinoco Basin, and two others, P. corruscans and P. reticulatum, are sympatric in the Paraná. Pseudoplatystoma magdaleniatum and P. fasciatum each occur as the only species of Pseudoplatystoma in their respective individual ranges. Aquarium Care: Its tank should have a shaded area at the back such as a large branch and plants to hide under as it is nocturnal, and also the lighting should not be too bright. Should not be kept with any fish that is smaller than itself and it also should be housed in a very large tank. The best companions would probably be large Pacu's or similar sized fish that would not be swallowed. In my opinion this wonderful looking Pim should only be kept in Public Aquariums as it can damage its large nose if kept in too confined an area, it can get jumpy too if feels its barbels on the tank sides as it turns around. It can also go of its food as well, if it is anyway disturbed. Carry out weekly water changes. Diet: In their natural habitat they eat other fish such as characins and other catfish, they also eat freshwater crabs. In the aquarium a diet of earthworms, freshwater fish such as trout and also shrimp and prawns. You should only feed when it starts looking actively for it, as they will rest for a few days after feeding to digest their food. Etymology: The specific name of punctifer means carrying small dots.

Spotted Tiger Shovelnose

Platystoma punctifer

Pimelodidae

South America: Amazon River basin (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru).

110.0cm. (44ins)

24-28°C (75-83°F)

6.5-7.5.

Buitrago-Suárez, U.A. and B.M. Burr, 2007. Taxonomy of the catfish genus Pseudoplatystoma Bleeker (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) with recognition of eight species. Zootaxa 1512:1-38.
DoNascimiento, C., E.E. Herrera-Collazos, G.A. Herrera-R., A. Ortega-Lara, F.A. Villa-Navarro, J.S.U. Oviedo and J.A. Maldonado-Ocampo, 2017. Checklist of the freshwater fishes of Colombia: a Darwin Core alternative to the updating problem. ZooKeys 708:25-138.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2023. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version.
Pereira, L.A.; Castello, L.; Orth, D.J.; Duponchelle, F.; Hallerman, E.M. A Synthesis of the Ecology and Conservation of Pseudoplatystoma Catfishes in the Neotropics. Fishes 2023, 8, 306.
Salvador, G.N. 2023. Pseudoplatystoma punctifer. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023.