Giant raphael catfish

Megalodoras uranoscopus

Also known as Mother of snails catfish, Giant talking catfish, Snail-eating doradid

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 23.6 in (60 cm)
Minimum tank: 264 gal (1,000 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Native to the Amazon River basin of South America.
Family: Doradidae

Overview

The giant raphael is a peaceful, slow-growing tank buster that eventually needs a very large tank of at least 1000 liters and a commitment of many years. It is not aggressive and coexists calmly with other big fish, but it will eat snails and any small tankmate it can swallow. Feed sinking pellets, frozen and meaty foods, and some fruit and vegetable matter. Its heavy armor and sharp scutes make careful handling essential.

In the wild

The giant raphael is a heavily armored Amazon doradid of large rivers and flooded forest, foraging slowly over the bottom mostly at night. It is a bulky, deliberate fish that spends the day tucked against wood or in a cave. Give it a large tank with a soft sandy bed, big driftwood, and shaded retreats, with soft to neutral water at 23 to 28 degrees C.

Good to know

Megalodoras uranoscopus reaches about 60 cm and up to 70 cm and around 4.6 kg, clad in the family's rows of bony spined plates. In the wild it eats a lot of fruit, seeds, and snails, and its old nickname mother of snails comes from the huge numbers of snail shells found in its gut. Like other doradids it can creak and grunt using its fins and swim bladder.