Sorubimichthys planiceps • Pimelodidae • Cat-eLog • PlanetCatfish

Juvenile
Close-up of head of sub-adult
Juvenile
Juvenile - dorsal view
Juvenile
Sub-adult
Mature fish
Mature fish in large home

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Sorubimichthys planiceps** (Spix & Agassiz, 1829)
Common Name(s)	Acha Cubo (Spanish, Peruvian), Cabo de hacha (Spanish, Colombian), Doncella (Spanish, Venezuelan), Firewood Catfish, Guerevere (Orinoquia, Peruvian), Paletona (Spanish, Venezuelan), Peixe-lenha (Portuguese, Brazilian)
Type Locality	Amazon R., Solimoes, Rio Negro.
Synonym(s)	Platystoma planiceps, Platystoma spatula, Pteroglanis manni, Sorubim jandia, Sorubimichthys ortoni, Sorubimichthys spatula
Pronunciation	saw rue bim ick thees - pla neh seps
Etymology	Sorubi is the Brazilian local name for this fish (and several other pimelodids) +(Greek)ichthys=fish. The specific epithet, planiceps meaning flathead.
Species Information
Size	1600mm (63") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	Body has an overall cylindrical shape. Very flattened head. Large long caudal fin. In large specimens the upper jaw surpasses the lower. Overall coloration and color pattern varies greatly over the animal's range, but the fish generall has a broad cream stripe reaching from the gill cover to the caudal peduncle. This light colored stripe may or may not be bordered by darker stripes.
Sexing	Unknown. Overall adults sizes for females are reported as larger than those of males.
General Remarks	The largest specimen reported from the Amazon was 1.5 meters; Puerto Lopez, Colombia 1.6 meters; Rio Caqueta 97 cm. Considered ''Vulnerable'' to extinction due to overfishing by commercial fisheries. Average adult size captured by commercial fisheries has declined in recent years and now averages under one meter. In Puerto Carreno, on the Rio Orinoco, 5.5 tons of S. planiceps were harvested in 2001. Under Colombian law, specimens under 95 cm may not be retained. This would also make the small specimens imported for the aquarium trade illegal. Sadly, this law is rarely enforced.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Found throughout the Orinoco, Guaviare, Meta, Metica, Guayabero, Amazon, Putumayo, and Caqueta basins. The wide varity of color patterns and reported adult sizes from these different drainages suggest that this is either a vary variable species or S. planiceps represents a complex of similar species and/or subspecies. Orinoco (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) Orinoco , Upper Orinoco, Guaviare (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) Orinoco , Upper Orinoco, Guaviare, Guayabero (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) Amazon (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) Amazon, Middle Amazon (Solimoes) , Japurá, Caquetá (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) Orinoco , Middle Orinoco, Meta (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) Orinoco , Middle Orinoco, Meta, Metica (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) Amazon, Putumayo (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
pH	6.0 - 7.6
Temperature	24.0-28.0°C or 75.2-82.4°F (Show others within this range)
Other Parameters	Normally found in whitewaters high in suspended sediments.
Husbandry Information
Feeding	A voracious predator that consumes other fishes.
Furniture	With an adult size reaching almost five feet, this fish would require a massive tank. The substrate should be sand with large stones and driftwood providing hiding places. The water current should be strong with a high oxygen content.
Compatibility	Other fishes with similar water requirements that are too large to be swallowed whole.
Suggested Tankmates	Other large catfishes of the families Pimelodidae or Doradidae.
Breeding	Unreported. Juveniles appear during the onset of the rainy season.
Further Information
References	Selecta Piscium Brasiliam - pp25 - Pl. 12 Barthem R. and M. Goulding (1997) The Catfish Connection; Ecology, Migration, and Conservation of Amazon Predators. Columbia University Press. Mojica et al. (2002) Libro rojo de peces dulceacuicolas de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Romano B. (no date) Peces de Aqua Dulce de Venezuela. Fundacion Cientifica Fluvial de Los Llanos.
Registered Keepers	(1) arapaima, (2) Lornek8, (3) amazonfishman (k: 2), (4) Redtailrob (p: 2, k: 3), (5) miles3, (6) allim, (7) Decker504, (8) arapaimag (k: 3), (9) richb (k: 2), who also notes: "I acquired these guys at about 6 inches. Once they acclimated to the tank, they started taking silversides (switched over from red shiners). They grew pretty quickly. I am surprised at how asocial they are. The large fish beat on the smaller fish in a 6' long 180 gallon tank until I had to remove the smaller to a recovery tank. The larger fish is about 14" SL and 17 or 18 total length. Intersting fish.". Click on a username above to see all that persons registered catfish species. You can also view all "my cats" data for this species. Add this species to your "my cats" page.
Breeding Reports	None.
More Resources	- Search Planet Catfish for more on Sorubimichthys planiceps - BBcode (for use in linking to this page from forum posts) - Look up Sorubimichthys planiceps on AquaticRepublic.com - Look up Sorubimichthys planiceps on Fishbase, I.T.I.S. or ispecies search. - URL (for use in linking to the species from anywhere on the web)
Hits	19089 hits.
Last Update	2008 Sep 09 11:45 (species record created: 2001 Apr 22 00:00)

Cat-eLog Data Sheet

Sorubimichthys planiceps (Spix & Agassiz, 1829)

Acha Cubo (Spanish, Peruvian), Cabo de hacha (Spanish, Colombian), Doncella (Spanish, Venezuelan), Firewood Catfish, Guerevere (Orinoquia, Peruvian), Paletona (Spanish, Venezuelan), Peixe-lenha (Portuguese, Brazilian)

Type Locality

Amazon R., Solimoes, Rio Negro.

Synonym(s)

Platystoma planiceps, Platystoma spatula, Pteroglanis manni, Sorubim jandia, Sorubimichthys ortoni, Sorubimichthys spatula

Pronunciation

saw rue bim ick thees - pla neh seps

Etymology

Sorubi is the Brazilian local name for this fish (and several other pimelodids) +(Greek)ichthys=fish. The specific epithet, planiceps meaning flathead.

Species Information

Size

1600mm (63") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.

Identification

Body has an overall cylindrical shape. Very flattened head. Large long caudal fin. In large specimens the upper jaw surpasses the lower. Overall coloration and color pattern varies greatly over the animal's range, but the fish generall has a broad cream stripe reaching from the gill cover to the caudal peduncle. This light colored stripe may or may not be bordered by darker stripes.

Sexing

Unknown. Overall adults sizes for females are reported as larger than those of males.

General Remarks

The largest specimen reported from the Amazon was 1.5 meters; Puerto Lopez, Colombia 1.6 meters; Rio Caqueta 97 cm. Considered ''Vulnerable'' to extinction due to overfishing by commercial fisheries. Average adult size captured by commercial fisheries has declined in recent years and now averages under one meter. In Puerto Carreno, on the Rio Orinoco, 5.5 tons of S. planiceps were harvested in 2001. Under Colombian law, specimens under 95 cm may not be retained. This would also make the small specimens imported for the aquarium trade illegal. Sadly, this law is rarely enforced.

Habitat Information

Distribution

Found throughout the Orinoco, Guaviare, Meta, Metica, Guayabero, Amazon, Putumayo, and Caqueta basins. The wide varity of color patterns and reported adult sizes from these different drainages suggest that this is either a vary variable species or S. planiceps represents a complex of similar species and/or subspecies.
Orinoco Show it on a map

(hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
Orinoco Show it on a map

, Upper Orinoco, Guaviare (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
Orinoco Show it on a map

, Upper Orinoco, Guaviare, Guayabero (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
Amazon (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
Amazon, Middle Amazon (Solimoes) Show it on a map

, Japurá, Caquetá (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
Orinoco Show it on a map

, Middle Orinoco, Meta (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
Orinoco Show it on a map

, Middle Orinoco, Meta, Metica (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
Amazon, Putumayo (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)

6.0 - 7.6

Temperature

24.0-28.0°C or 75.2-82.4°F (Show others within this range)

Other Parameters

Normally found in whitewaters high in suspended sediments.

Husbandry Information

Feeding

A voracious predator that consumes other fishes.

Furniture

With an adult size reaching almost five feet, this fish would require a massive tank. The substrate should be sand with large stones and driftwood providing hiding places. The water current should be strong with a high oxygen content.

Compatibility

Other fishes with similar water requirements that are too large to be swallowed whole.

Suggested Tankmates

Other large catfishes of the families Pimelodidae or Doradidae.

Breeding

Unreported. Juveniles appear during the onset of the rainy season.

Further Information

References

Selecta Piscium Brasiliam - pp25 - Pl. 12
Barthem R. and M. Goulding (1997) The Catfish Connection; Ecology, Migration, and Conservation of Amazon Predators. Columbia University Press.
Mojica et al. (2002) Libro rojo de peces dulceacuicolas de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
Romano B. (no date) Peces de Aqua Dulce de Venezuela. Fundacion Cientifica Fluvial de Los Llanos.

Registered Keepers

(1) arapaima, (2) Lornek8, (3) amazonfishman (k: 2), (4) Redtailrob (p: 2, k: 3), (5) miles3, (6) allim, (7) Decker504, (8) arapaimag (k: 3), (9) richb (k: 2), who also notes: "I acquired these guys at about 6 inches. Once they acclimated to the tank, they started taking silversides (switched over from red shiners). They grew pretty quickly. I am surprised at how asocial they are. The large fish beat on the smaller fish in a 6' long 180 gallon tank until I had to remove the smaller to a recovery tank. The larger fish is about 14" SL and 17 or 18 total length. Intersting fish.".

Click on a username above to see all that persons registered catfish species. You can also view all "my cats" data for this species.

Add this species to your My Cats species list

Add this species to your "my cats" page.

Breeding Reports

None.

More Resources

- Search Planet Catfish for more on Sorubimichthys planiceps
Link

- BBcode (for use in linking to this page from forum posts)
Look up AquaticRepublic.com

- Look up Sorubimichthys planiceps on AquaticRepublic.com
Look up Fishbase

- Look up Sorubimichthys planiceps on Fishbase, I.T.I.S. or ispecies search.
Link

- URL (for use in linking to the species from anywhere on the web)

Hits

19089 hits.

Last Update

2008 Sep 09 11:45 (species record created: 2001 Apr 22 00:00)

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