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.
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. Remarks:
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.
Common
Name:
Spotted Tiger Shovelnose
Synonyms:
Platystoma punctifer
Family:
Pimelodidae
Distribution:
South America:
Amazon River basin (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and
Peru).
Size:
110.0cm. (44ins)
Temp:
24-28°C (75-83°F)
p.H.
6.5-7.5.
Reference:
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
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