PlanetCatfish.com - Pimelodus maculatus (Pimelodidae) Cat-eLog

Adult
Dorsal view
Uruguay

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Pimelodus maculatus** Lacepède, 1803
Common Names	Spotted Pimelodus Fleckenantennenwels (Germany), Langskægget Malle (Denmark), Spotted Pim
Type Locality	Río de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Synonym(s)	Pimelodus clarias maculatus
Pronunciation	pim ee LOW duss - mak yule at uss
Etymology	pimele, fat; –odes, having the form of, i.e., fatty, referring to their adipose fins (at the time, this was a catch-all genus for many catfish species, most of which possess a “fatty” or adipose fin) [note: many online references report that –odes is derived from odous, meaning teeth, but this is incorrect]. This specific epithet refers to its spotted(maculatus=spotted) appearance.
Species Information
Size	368mm or 14.5" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	A pretty species with a large blotch patterning which covers the whole body of the fish.
Sexing	Not known.
Habitat Information
Distribution	South America: Paraná and São Francisco River basins. La Plata, Paraná (click on these areas to find other species found there) São Francisco (click on these areas to find other species found there) Rio Grande Do Sul State Waters, Laguna dos Patos, Guaíba (click on these areas to find other species found there) La Plata, Uruguay, Upper Uruguay, Pelotas (click on these areas to find other species found there) La Plata, Uruguay, Middle Uruguay (click on these areas to find other species found there) La Plata, Paraná, Upper Paraná, Grande (Paraná), Pardo (São Paulo, Rio Grande) (click on these areas to find other species found there) La Plata, Paraná, Lower Paraná, Carcarañá, Tercero (click on these areas to find other species found there) La Plata, Paraná, Lower Paraná, Carcarañá, Tercero, Saladillo (click on these areas to find other species found there) Login to view the map.
IUCN Red List Category	Least Concern , range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2018.
pH	6.4 - 7.4
Temperature	20.0-24.0°C or 68-75.2°F (Show species within this range)
Husbandry Information
Feeding	An unfussy omnivore. Most prepared foods are taken and the fish will happily gorge itself on live or frozen foods. Bloodworm induces a feeding frenzy and is good for acclimatizing new, smaller acquisitions. The fish will eat huge amounts in one day, its belly swelling to resemble a marble and can comfortably live off this for up to a week. User data.
Furniture	These fish will be considerably more active if given lots of cover at the sides of the aquarium that they can dart into when spooked. Floating plants are also a good idea as water current is unimportant.
Compatibility	Peaceful but will eat smaller fishes.
Suggested Tankmates	Larger active fish such as tetras, most barbs and gouramis. They can also be kept in groups but do not suffer from being kept singly. Angelfish and other ''graceful'' fish are sometimes bothered by this species' barbels particularly during ''lights-out''.
Breeding	Unreported in the aquarium.
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
Further Information
Reference	Histoire naturelle des poissons (Lacepède) v. 5, pp 94, 103
Registered Keepers	There are 9 registered keepers, view all "my cats" data.
Wishlists	Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list. There are 2 wishes to keep this species, see who wants what.
Spotters	Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There are 9 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
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	Look up P. maculatus on Encyclopedia of Life
	Look up P. maculatus on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
	LFS label creator ARN ref:1.15.101.312
Last Update	2025 Jan 02 01:38 (species record created: 2001 Apr 22 00:00)