All fish / Pimelodidae

Bolt catfish

Aguarunichthys torosus

Also known as bolt catfish, torosus catfish, aguarunichthys

This is a large, sturdy long-whiskered catfish from the upper Amazon in Peru. It has a pale silvery to brownish body marked with dark spots. Keepers of large predatory catfish value it because it is seldom seen in the trade.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

35 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

1000 litres

Keep as

Can be kept singly

Diet

Carnivore: fish fillet, prawns, mussels, earthworms and large sinking carnivore pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Peru: Río Marañón, upper Amazon basin

Breeding

No captive breeding has been reported. It probably scatters its eggs during seasonal migrations in rivers, as related pimelodids do.

Good to know

Adults reach about 35 cm standard length and will eat any fish small enough to swallow, so it needs a very large tank with strong filtration. Published water figures are scarce, so the ranges given here are based on related Amazonian pimelodids.