Zebra shovelnose

Brachyplatystoma tigrinum

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–90°F (22–32°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 23.6 in (60 cm)
Minimum tank: 151 gal (570 L)
Temperament: Aggressive
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Very rare
Origin: Brazil, Colombia, Peru
Family: Pimelodidae

Overview

The zebra shovelnose is a large, striking, entirely fish-eating catfish, best kept as a single specimen. It is peaceful toward tankmates too big to eat but will take any fish it can swallow, and it can be nervous and easily spooked, so give it a calm, dimly lit tank with fast, sturdy companions well out of its size range. Provide a long, open swimming lane with strong, well-oxygenated flow and a few solid hiding places. Getting one to accept dead food takes patience, as it strongly prefers live fish at first, so wean it onto strips of fish, prawn, and earthworms over time. Aim for a very large tank of around 570 liters or larger with a tight lid.

In the wild

The zebra shovelnose lives in the main channels of the Amazon basin in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, favouring deep, fast-flowing water with sand and open bottom. It handles a wide temperature span, from around 22 to 32 C, with a pH between 6 and 7.5, and it needs strong current and high oxygen levels to do well. A big tank with a smooth sand bed, open swimming space, and powerful, turbulent flow best matches its river-channel home. Keep the lighting subdued to suit this shy, current-loving fish.

Good to know

The zebra shovelnose, once placed in its own genus as Merodontotus tigrinum, is a long-whiskered catfish of the family Pimelodidae. It is unmistakable, patterned in bold black and cream tiger stripes with long trailing tail filaments. It is often listed at around 50 cm, but it grows larger, with wild fish recorded to roughly 85 cm. Like its relatives it is a migratory, entirely fish-eating predator of open river channels, and it is not known to have been bred in aquariums.

Did you know

The zebra shovelnose wears one of the boldest patterns of any catfish, a coat of black and cream tiger stripes trailing into long tail filaments. Long known to science as Merodontotus tigrinum, it remains one of the most sought-after and expensive of the large Amazonian catfishes.