Cetopsis coecutiens • Cetopsidae • Cat-eLog

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Cetopsis coecutiens** (Lichtenstein, 1819)
Common Name(s)	Baby Whale Catfish, Blue Shark Catfish, Blue Torpedo Catfish, Blue Whale Catfish, Whale Catfish
Type Locality	Rivers of Equatorial Brazil.
Synonym(s)	Silurus coecutiens
Pronunciation	see TOP siss - koe cutey enz
Etymology	Cetopsis: From the Greek cetos, meaning whale, and -opsis, meaning likeness; in reference to the whale-like appearance.
Species Information
Size	265mm (10.4") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	An uncommon import but commonly encountered in its natural habitat - a couple of hours hook and line night fishing in Peru yielded a dozen or so of these fish. Several other members of the family are imported rarely.
Sexing	Males are more slender than females and their dorsal fin tapers to a more elegant point in mature specimens.
Habitat Information
Distribution	South America: Amazonas, Tocantins, and Orinoco basins. Amazon (click on these areas to find other species found there) Amazon, Lower Amazon, Tocantins (click on these areas to find other species found there) Orinoco (click on these areas to find other species found there) (Click the map-icon to show/hide map of species distribution)
pH	6.0 - 7.4
Temperature	22.0-26.0°C or 71.6-78.8°F (Show others within this range)
Other Parameters	An open water fish that requires strong current and oxygenation. It is a testament to the fishes adaptability that it survives in conditions less than this ideal. Water quality and general husbandry is important, and it is recommended that a minimum of 25% water is changed on a weekly to fortnightly basis.
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Will accept frozen foods and readily adapts to all good sized live foods. Chopped mussels and live earthworms are favourites. Should not be weaned onto feeder fish but attempts to wean onto tablet food (especially shrimp based tablets) should be made from a young age. Be careful not to overfeed as this fish is an opportunistic feeder and will gorge itself given the chance.
Furniture	A sparse, dimly lit tank is required. Provide only minimal cover for the fish to hide in during the day. The provision of a dim actinic light will allow you to observe the fish on its nocturnal prowling where it is an impressive midwater fish and needs room to roam. Substrate is important as although it is a midwater fish, it comes to rest on the bottom frequently. Use aquarium sand or rounded gravel.
Compatibility	Not a fish to be trusted with others. Its natural adult behaviour is to bite lumps out of larger deep river channel fish such as the scaleless Pimelodids. Younger fish in the aquarium do not seem so dangerous, perhaps because they are young or well fed. It will however always eat smaller fish and is an accomplished hunter.
Suggested Tankmates	It is believed these are a shoaling fish, but no data is available on keeping them as such in aquaria. Perhaps armoured catfish are the best bet, but ensure all fishes are well fed.
Breeding	Unreported and good luck trying to raise a brood of these things!
Further Information
References	Selecta Piscium Brasiliam - pp12 - Pl. 10 (fig. 2)
Registered Keepers	(1) daniel60, (2) amiidae, (3) brettwms75, who also notes: "The fins on this fish will turn ragged looking with poor water quality. I found out when my filter uknowingly stopped. Becareful mine bites on my hand every water change. It's fearless!! Very cool & very very pricey!!!", (4) Stackdeck, (5) bio1. 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 2009 August
	Search Planet Catfish for more on Cetopsis coecutiens
	Look up Cetopsis coecutiens on AquaticRepublic.com
BBCode	(for use in linking to this page from forum posts)
	(for use in linking to the species from anywhere on the web)
	Look up Cetopsis coecutiens on Fishbase
	Get or print a QR code for this species profile, or try our BETA label creator.
Hits	42840 hits.
Last Update	2012 Dec 28 19:52 (species record created: 2001 Apr 17 00:00)

Cat-eLog Data Sheet

Scientific Name

Cetopsis coecutiens (Lichtenstein, 1819)

Common Name(s)

Baby Whale Catfish, Blue Shark Catfish, Blue Torpedo Catfish, Blue Whale Catfish, Whale Catfish

Type Locality

Rivers of Equatorial Brazil.

Synonym(s)

Silurus coecutiens

Pronunciation

see TOP siss - koe cutey enz

Etymology

Cetopsis: From the Greek cetos, meaning whale, and -opsis, meaning likeness; in reference to the whale-like appearance.

Species Information

Size

265mm (10.4") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.

Identification

An uncommon import but commonly encountered in its natural habitat - a couple of hours hook and line night fishing in Peru yielded a dozen or so of these fish. Several other members of the family are imported rarely.

Sexing

Males are more slender than females and their dorsal fin tapers to a more elegant point in mature specimens.

Habitat Information

Distribution

South America: Amazonas, Tocantins, and Orinoco basins.
Amazon (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Amazon, Lower Amazon, Tocantins (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Orinoco (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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

6.0 - 7.4

Temperature

22.0-26.0°C or 71.6-78.8°F (Show others within this range)

Other Parameters

An open water fish that requires strong current and oxygenation. It is a testament to the fishes adaptability that it survives in conditions less than this ideal. Water quality and general husbandry is important, and it is recommended that a minimum of 25% water is changed on a weekly to fortnightly basis.

Husbandry Information

Feeding

Will accept frozen foods and readily adapts to all good sized live foods. Chopped mussels and live earthworms are favourites. Should not be weaned onto feeder fish but attempts to wean onto tablet food (especially shrimp based tablets) should be made from a young age. Be careful not to overfeed as this fish is an opportunistic feeder and will gorge itself given the chance.

Furniture

A sparse, dimly lit tank is required. Provide only minimal cover for the fish to hide in during the day. The provision of a dim actinic light will allow you to observe the fish on its nocturnal prowling where it is an impressive midwater fish and needs room to roam. Substrate is important as although it is a midwater fish, it comes to rest on the bottom frequently. Use aquarium sand or rounded gravel.

Compatibility

Not a fish to be trusted with others. Its natural adult behaviour is to bite lumps out of larger deep river channel fish such as the scaleless Pimelodids. Younger fish in the aquarium do not seem so dangerous, perhaps because they are young or well fed. It will however always eat smaller fish and is an accomplished hunter.

Suggested Tankmates

It is believed these are a shoaling fish, but no data is available on keeping them as such in aquaria. Perhaps armoured catfish are the best bet, but ensure all fishes are well fed.

Breeding

Unreported and good luck trying to raise a brood of these things!

Further Information

References

Selecta Piscium Brasiliam - pp12 - Pl. 10 (fig. 2)

Registered Keepers

(1) daniel60, (2) amiidae, (3) brettwms75, who also notes: "The fins on this fish will turn ragged looking with poor water quality. I found out when my filter uknowingly stopped. Becareful mine bites on my hand every water change. It's fearless!! Very cool & very very pricey!!!", (4) Stackdeck, (5) bio1.

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