Platystacus cotylephorus • Aspredinidae • Cat-eLog

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Platystacus cotylephorus** Bloch, 1794
Common Name(s)	Mottled Eel-tail Banjo Catfish, Mottled Eel-Tailed Banjo Catfish
Synonym(s)	Aspredo cotylephorus, Cotylephorus blochii, Silurus hexadactylus
Pronunciation	plat ee STAK uss - coat ee LEFF or uss
Etymology	Platystacus: From the Greek platys, meaning broad or flat and the Latin acus, meaning needle; in reference to the shape. Cotylephorus: meaning sites for the attachment of developing embryos, which in this case refers to the ventral area.
Species Information
Size	320mm (12.6") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	The fishes mottled colouration is very variable - almost to the point of no two individuals looking exactly the same.
Sexing	Females appear more brown than black with very little or no mottling. Males by contrast are darker and show high contrast mottling. Mature males have larger pectoral fins than equally aged females.
General Remarks	This species is able to produce bark-like sounds by quickly moving the pectorals. These sounds are probably used to locate each other during mating periods and certainly when being attacked.
Habitat Information
Distribution	South America: Western Central Atlantic: Venezuela to northern Brazil; including the lower portions of coastal rivers. Atlantic, Western Central Atlantic (click on these areas to find other species found there) (Click the map-icon to show/hide map of species distribution)
pH	6.0 - 8.2
Temperature	22.0-25.0°C or 71.6-77°F (Show others within this range)
Other Parameters	Although the fish tolerates lower, the fish should really be kept at as near to a neutral pH as possible. Water should be medium hard.
Husbandry Information
Feeding	A nocturnal scavenger. Will eat most food after lights our. Can be tempted to eat frozen foods during the day.
Furniture	A large sandy bottom with leaf cover is ideal, fish of all ages will bury in the sand. Larger fish will bury in gravel.
Compatibility	Will eat small fish and shrimps but otherwise entirely docile.
Suggested Tankmates	Small to medium sized hardy, preferably Amazon, fish that do not mind the higher pH and hardness this species prefers. Care should be taken to avoid fish that will pick away at the unmoving partly buried catfish.
Breeding	Not reported in the home aquarium, but evidence exists of the method of reproduction. See catfish of the month article.
Further Information
References	Naturg. Ausl. Fischev. 8 - pp54 - Pl. 372
Registered Keepers	(1) Daniel Machado, (2) Silurus, (3) Devangel, (4) chillired, (5) bitsygiggles, (6) Apostolis, (7) JamieH, (8) in_the_seance, (9) Floody. Click on a username above to see all that persons registered catfish species. You can also view all "my cats" data for this species.
Breeding Reports	None.
Articles	- CotM 2002 November - Shane's World Catfishology The Eel-tail banjo catfish Platystacus cotylephorus
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Last Update	2009 Mar 08 04:09 (species record created: 2001 Apr 13 00:00)

Cat-eLog Data Sheet

Scientific Name

Platystacus cotylephorus Bloch, 1794

Common Name(s)

Mottled Eel-tail Banjo Catfish, Mottled Eel-Tailed Banjo Catfish

Synonym(s)

Aspredo cotylephorus, Cotylephorus blochii, Silurus hexadactylus

Pronunciation

plat ee STAK uss - coat ee LEFF or uss

Etymology

Platystacus: From the Greek platys, meaning broad or flat and the Latin acus, meaning needle; in reference to the shape. Cotylephorus: meaning sites for the attachment of developing embryos, which in this case refers to the ventral area.

Species Information

Size

320mm (12.6") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.

Identification

The fishes mottled colouration is very variable - almost to the point of no two individuals looking exactly the same.

Sexing

Females appear more brown than black with very little or no mottling. Males by contrast are darker and show high contrast mottling. Mature males have larger pectoral fins than equally aged females.

General Remarks

This species is able to produce bark-like sounds by quickly moving the pectorals. These sounds are probably used to locate each other during mating periods and certainly when being attacked.

Habitat Information

Distribution

South America: Western Central Atlantic: Venezuela to northern Brazil; including the lower portions of coastal rivers.
Atlantic, Western Central Atlantic (click on these areas to find other species found there)

(Click the map-icon to show/hide map of species distribution)

6.0 - 8.2

Temperature

22.0-25.0°C or 71.6-77°F (Show others within this range)

Other Parameters

Although the fish tolerates lower, the fish should really be kept at as near to a neutral pH as possible. Water should be medium hard.

Husbandry Information

Feeding

A nocturnal scavenger. Will eat most food after lights our. Can be tempted to eat frozen foods during the day.

Furniture

A large sandy bottom with leaf cover is ideal, fish of all ages will bury in the sand. Larger fish will bury in gravel.

Compatibility

Will eat small fish and shrimps but otherwise entirely docile.

Suggested Tankmates

Small to medium sized hardy, preferably Amazon, fish that do not mind the higher pH and hardness this species prefers. Care should be taken to avoid fish that will pick away at the unmoving partly buried catfish.

Breeding

Not reported in the home aquarium, but evidence exists of the method of reproduction. See catfish of the month article.

Further Information

References

Naturg. Ausl. Fischev. 8 - pp54 - Pl. 372

Registered Keepers

(1) Daniel Machado, (2) Silurus, (3) Devangel, (4) chillired, (5) bitsygiggles, (6) Apostolis, (7) JamieH, (8) in_the_seance, (9) Floody.

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

Breeding Reports

None.

Articles