TankBud

Blue jumper catfish

Exallodontus aguanai

Also known as Deepwater pim

FreshwaterFish

Blue jumper catfish (Exallodontus aguanai)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
7.9 in
20 cm
Minimum tank
106 gal
400 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Pimelodidae
Origin
Deep channels of the Orinoco and Amazon

Overview

The blue jumper catfish is a night-active pimelodid from deep river channels that is almost never kept. It is moderately hard to keep and needs a very large tank.

Did you know

The blue jumper catfish belongs to a small set of catfishes that live in the deepest river channels. That habitat lies so far down that these fish were first sampled by dragging trawls along the riverbed, not with ordinary nets.

Caring for the blue jumper catfish

Base the blue jumper catfish's care on its life on the river floor, since its husbandry is thinly documented. Give it a securely covered tank of at least 106 gal (400 L). Recreate the calm, dark bottom of the river rather than its surface, with subdued lighting or none and plenty of shade.

Lay a smooth sand floor with no sharp decor, and keep the flow gentle to moderate. The water should be warm and soft to neutral, at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Keep it clean and well filtered.

It is night-active, so feed meaty sinking foods after dark, such as earthworm, prawn, mussel and sinking pellets. It is mostly peaceful and appears to live in loose aggregations. A small group in a large tank likely suits it better than a single specimen.

It will take any tank mate small enough to swallow, so choose calm, similarly sized companions and nothing bite-sized. Nothing is known of its breeding in captivity.

Good to know

Exallodontus aguanai is the only species in its genus, and it was described in 1991. It sits in the Pimelodidae, the long-whiskered antenna catfishes. Its large eyes and pale, blue-sheened body are typical of fishes from permanently dark river depths. Specimens reach the trade only as occasional bycatch.

In the wild

Exallodontus aguanai comes from the deep channels of the Amazon and Orinoco basins, across Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela. It lives in a lightless world tens of meters down.

Common questions

What size tank does a blue jumper catfish need?

A blue jumper catfish needs at least 106 gal (400 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a blue jumper catfish need?

A blue jumper catfish is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a blue jumper catfish eat?

A blue jumper catfish eats meaty sinking foods such as earthworm, prawn, mussel and sinking pellets, fed after dark. It will also take any tank mate small enough to swallow.

How big does a blue jumper catfish get?

An adult blue jumper catfish reaches about 7.9 in (20 cm).

Related species