Bullwhip pimelodus

Care at a glance

Overview

The bullwhip pimelodus is a nocturnal, predatory catfish that lives alone, so keep just one; it is not a group fish. By day it hides, coming out after dark to cruise the bottom with its trailing whiskers. It is peaceful toward fish it cannot eat but will swallow anything small, so choose tankmates with care: robust, medium to large community fish, never small tetras or shrimp. Feed meaty sinking foods, earthworm, prawn, mussel and sinking pellets, offered in the evening. Handle it gently, since the pectoral spines are needle-sharp. Give it a dim tank with a soft floor and open swimming lanes, about 400 liters or more.

In the wild

The bullwhip pimelodus works sandy river floors across the Orinoco and Amazon lowlands, hunting by touch and smell in dim, moving water. Set it up with a smooth sand bed that will not scratch its skin or barbels, driftwood and shaded retreats, and gentle to moderate current. Warm, soft to neutral water at 23 to 28 degrees Celsius and pH 6.0 to 7.5 keeps it well. Subdued lighting brings it out and suits its night-hunting habits.

Good to know

Platysilurus mucosus is a pimelodid catfish reaching around 25 centimeters, built long and flattened with very long maxillary barbels that trail back past the base of the tail. Juveniles also carry an oversized caudal fin that becomes more modest with age. The pectoral fins bear sharp, possibly mildly venomous spines. There is no captive breeding record for the species.

Did you know

Its whiskers do most of the fish's sensing: streaming well behind the body in the current, they find food in the dark before the mouth ever reaches it.

Common questions

Related species

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  Bloch's catfish

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• 

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• 

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• 

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