Slender catfish
Pimelodella gracilis
Also known as Graceful pimelodella, Slender pim, Four-line catfish
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–79°F
- 22–26°C
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 6.7 in
- 17 cm
- Minimum tank
- 40 gal
- 150 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Common
- Family
- Heptapteridae
- Origin
- Widespread across the Amazon, Orinoco, and other river basins of South America.
Overview
The slender catfish is an active, mostly peaceful catfish for the bottom of the tank. It is easy to keep.
Did you know
The slender catfish's barbels can be as long as its whole body. They sweep ahead of the fish like feelers to locate food in the dark.
Caring for the slender catfish
Give a group of slender catfish at least 40 gal (150 L), with open swimming space, driftwood and dim lighting. Keep the water soft to neutral, at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Feed sinking pellets, frozen foods and other meaty items after lights out.
It is fine alone or in a group, and it is happier and bolder in numbers. It is mostly peaceful, but it will eat very small fish and shrimp, so keep it with tank mates too large to swallow. Handle it carefully, since the fin spines readily snag skin and netting.
Good to know
Pimelodella gracilis belongs to a group of long-whiskered catfish once placed with the pimelodids and now often classified in the family Heptapteridae. It has a silvery, streamlined body with a dark lateral stripe, and it carries sharp pectoral spines. The genus is notoriously hard to tell apart, so many silvery striped fish in the trade are labeled gracilis without certainty.
In the wild
The slender catfish is widespread across the Amazon, Orinoco and other river basins of South America. It lives in rivers and streams, shoaling in midwater and over the bottom and hunting after dark.
Common questions
What size tank does a slender catfish need?
A slender catfish needs at least 40 gal (150 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a slender catfish need?
A slender catfish is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.
What does a slender catfish eat?
A slender catfish eats sinking pellets, frozen foods and other meaty items. Feed it after lights out.
How big does a slender catfish get?
An adult slender catfish reaches about 6.7 in (17 cm).
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