Bought as burmese shovelnose. It is??

[Viktor Jarikov]

...

[Silurus]

Nope.

Hemisorubim platyrhynchos

[Birger]

How would someone come up with a name like that for this fish...are they being commercially bred in Asia somewhere?

Birger

[Marc van Arc]

Nope.

Hemisorubim platyrhynchos

Don't think so.
Hemisorubim has a protruding (longer) lower jaw, whereas this pimelodid has a protruding upper jaw.

Could it be

Platysilurus

?

[sidguppy]

Victor, count yourself lucky

this rare Pimelodid is at least marginally keepable, given a very large tank

what is usually sold as "Asian shovelnose" is

Sperata aor

, a species that reaches 6 feet/180 cm SL, wich means that it passes the 2 meter mark including the caual fin.....

larger than yourself most likely

so, this Platysilurus (i think it's a match with

Platysilurus malarmo

) will reach 80-90 cm including the tailfin (the SL is 70 cm, but this one has elongated caudal lobes).
wich is large, but smaller than say a TSN or a Red Tail.

comparable to Leiarius or Oxydoras wich can be kept in an indoor pond.

the largest drawback is that the Pimelodis with XXL whiskers tend to suffer from claustrophobia when they're constantly touching tankwalls with their manibular barbels.
this one has immense long mandibulars, so my best bet is a wide shallow pond for keeping and not a tank.

[Richard B]

Nope.

Hemisorubim platyrhynchos

Don't think so.
Hemisorubim has a protruding (longer) lower jaw, whereas this pimelodid has a protruding upper jaw.

Could it be

Platysilurus

?

Agreed - also the barbels are far too long for Hemisorubim (see initial pic)

[crkinney]

THE BIGGER THE BETTER
There goes the local cat population.

[Viktor Jarikov]

Thank you guys all much! Yeah, the barbels and the extensions on both caudal lobes are incredible on these fish (I got two) - exceeding the body length by 2-3 times or even longer

Good help, Silurus, appreciate it as always but this time, I must side with the Platysilurus malarmo - it looks right on the money.

I do have a 4" TL S. aor sold as an asian shovelnose and yes, I've read about its potentially immense size. I am pretty sure it is aor because of its coquettish dark spot on the adipose fin that dead sure gives it away.

Good point about the long barbels and stress, Alex! Thanx. BTW, I count myself double lucky then ! I think it will take many years if not decades for these fish to grow out their potential size, by that time I hope to provide them with big, year-round warm outdoor ponds in a private aquarium kind of settings, if I don't screw it up.

larger than yourself most likely

hopefully

comparable to Leiarius or Oxydoras wich can be kept in an indoor pond.

Leiarius'd not exceed 3'. Oxydoras Niger can get to 7-8', I am told.

THE BIGGER THE BETTER There goes the local cat population.

You mean I am improving the local captive-kept population, right?

[sidguppy]

Oxydoras Niger can get to 7-8', I am told.

the one who told you that should lay off the smokable herbs for a while.

Oxydoras reaches about 3.5'SL wich would make a wee bit over 4' TL; still a respectable size; but as far as science is concerned there are NO 2 meter plus Doradids ;)

close to 4 feet is the largest size recorded so far.

however, Doradids go for girth and mass; a 3' Oxydoras weights at least 3 or 4x as much as a Leiarius of the same length

I think it will take many years if not decades for these fish to grow out their potential size

actually, no.
pimelodids are fast growing fish and theu usually reach 80% or more of their adult size within 2 or 3 years, especially if they're in a roomy tank or pond and waterquality is good.

if yoy keep this fish roomy and in clean water it should be able to reach past 2 feet within 1 or 2 years, definitely not decades.

[Viktor Jarikov]

the one who told you that should lay off the smokable herbs for a while.

As I mentioned at least 3 times before in various other posts, it was Mr. Ray Lucas of Buffalo NY, who Jools knows. I cannot speak for his trustworthiness as I do not know the man but superficially he looked knowledgeable about what he tells. People say he is a prominent local fish expert and well known in USA too, not sure of his worldwide status. Not that I am impressed with titles and opinions. Having paid attention to your posts, Alex, I know that if anything, you go much farther: ego-deflater you call yourself?

however, Doradids go for girth and mass; a 3' Oxydoras weights at least 3 or 4x as much as a Leiarius of the same length

Very nice point, now that I think about it, my Cactus Oxydoras Niger is real thick vs others. I should take into account body mass in addition to the length!

I think it will take many years if not decades for these fish to grow out their potential size

actually, no.
pimelodids are fast growing fish and theu usually reach 80% or more of their adult size within 2 or 3 years, especially if they're in a roomy tank or pond and water quality is good. if yoy keep this fish roomy and in clean water it should be able to reach past 2 feet within 1 or 2 years, definitely not decades.

Knowing so little, I'll stay on the more cautious side. This does not say you are wrong, this just says others say different. Just one example: in Nugget Chronicles, Jonathan the Fish Guy Strazinsky says he knows a well-kept RTC in his mid-twenties that's still 4' while people largely agree that RTCs CAN get to 5.5', or, again, in the case of Mr Ray Lucas, he saw a ~7.5' species of RTC.

What can I say for myself? Only that life is still largely an experiment - no matter how many opinions you collect, your circumstance will become the base of your knowledge. Firsthand rules.

[Bas Pels]

I think it will take many years if not decades for these fish to grow out their potential size

actually, no.
pimelodids are fast growing fish and theu usually reach 80% or more of their adult size within 2 or 3 years, especially if they're in a roomy tank or pond and water quality is good. if yoy keep this fish roomy and in clean water it should be able to reach past 2 feet within 1 or 2 years, definitely not decades.

Knowing so little, I'll stay on the more cautious side. This does not say you are wrong, this just says others say different. Just one example: in Nugget Chronicles, Jonathan the Fish Guy Strazinsky says he knows a well-kept RTC in his mid-twenties that's still 4' while people largely agree that RTCs CAN get to 5.5', or, again, in the case of Mr Ray Lucas, he saw a ~7.5' species of RTC.

What can I say for myself? Only that life is still largely an experiment - no matter how many opinions you collect, your circumstance will become the base of your knowledge. Firsthand rules.

The fact RTC can reach over 1.5 meters does not mean all do. My brother measures over 15 cm less than I do. We were raised almost identical, as is usual for brothers. OK I did eat his desert, for years, but he offered it .

Not all of us measure 1.90 (M) or 1.75 (F) meters.

The above ment RTC does not resume growing, does he? If he does, only then does his 20 year/4 ft have information. Now we don't know whether he is stunned, or just coincidally small

[Viktor Jarikov]

I agree, Bas. I do not know enough about that one RTC. Jonathan may choose to elaborate. I did not bother to look for other concrete examples of people citing growth rates - overall, I remember opinions varied in many discussions with a significant portion of people believing that many top predatory cats grow very quickly to get to the hard-to-kill/eat size and then slow down (just one of the factors, of course).

Many people also say nobody knows what kind of monsters may still live in those Amazon waters.

Your other point is also valid and means that my S aor may never hit the 190 cm champion size, i.e., if it is the champion size; and anyways, mine may never exceed say 4' or 5' but what's the probability? We ain't got needed statistics. On the other hand, there may be merely lack of enough data points/statistics and 300 cm aors exist and are lurking somewhere in the waters of India.

Talking about people, there is plenty of statistics and it is reasonable to expect a typical male to attain a 150-190 cm height. Note that the range is tiny in comparison with the implied 4'-8' possibilities for an RTC.

Sure, there are little people and there are human giants, but those probabilities are small. Have no clue if these phenomena have analogs in fish.