Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Siluriformes (Catfish) >
Pimelodidae (Long-whiskered catfishes)
Etymology: Brachyplatystoma: Greek, brachys, eia = short + Greek, platys = flat + Greek, stoma = mouth (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Freshwater; brackish; demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243). Subtropical, preferred ?
South America: Amazon and Orinoco River basins and major rivers of the Guianas and northeastern Brazil. Reported from Argentina (Ref. 9086).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 360 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 36506); common length : 120 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217); max. published weight: 200.0 kg (Ref. 27188)
Juveniles and subadults may be found in brackish water of river mouths. Found on soft bottoms (Ref. 5217). Feeds on fish (Ref. 27188). Stomach contents are said to include parts of monkeys. In parts of the Amazon, this catfish occasionally makes prey of a man (Ref. 6868). Flesh considered excellent quality (Ref. 5217). Captured using nets and longlines (Ref. 35381). Threatened due to over harvesting (Ref. 58490).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Lundberg, J.G. and M.W. Littmann, 2003. Pimelodidae (Long-whiskered catfishes). p. 432-446. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil. (Ref. 36506)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
More information
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningFecundityEggsEgg development
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5078 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00851 (0.00497 - 0.01456), b=3.15 (3.00 - 3.30), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 4.5 ±0.79 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Very high vulnerability (87 of 100) .