Please help identify my 20+ year old catfish

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aquanaut
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Please help identify my 20+ year old catfish

Post by aquanaut »

Someone asked us to take their catfish in 2002 when they were moving out of town, and now 20 years later, we still have this catfish, who has taken over our aquarium for himself. Can you help identify it? Maybe a type of pimelodus? I've scoured the internet, and found close matches, but none seem to match the pattern of spots.

He has since eaten the fish we already had, as well as any new additions, apart from a red tail shark that lasted for a while. But this guy keeps on ticking and is currently living alone.

9 inches long. Hangs out in a cave all day. Occasionally darts and splashes around the tank if startled by a human - seems very strong. Gobbles up algae wafers.

Thank you!
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Silurus
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Re: Please help identify my 20+ year old catfish

Post by Silurus »

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aquanaut
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Joined: 06 Aug 2022, 21:32
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Re: Please help identify my 20+ year old catfish

Post by aquanaut »

Thank you. I didn't realize the pattern of spots could be different from the photo examples. Good to know, thank you.
Viktor Jarikov
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Re: Please help identify my 20+ year old catfish

Post by Viktor Jarikov »

Interesting story and a great accomplishment!

Blochii aka 4-line pim catfish aka (silly but a name in use) striped pictus catfish is a highly variable fish when it comes to the pattern - defined spots, medium or small, marbled, mottled, muddled appearance, even coloration, lines, random spots, or rows of spots can all be found, it seems: https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/im ... e_id=20589

I wish I'd know why some other alike-looking candidate species have been eliminated by Silurus for my learning purpose, e.g. albofasciatus, mysteriosus, pantaneiro, maculatus, tetramerus. Of course, we never or next to never see these other Pimelodus species in the aquarium fish trade while the blochii has been exported all over the world in millions every year for many decades - perhaps that suffices.

https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/ge ... id=101#978
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