All fish / Pimelodidae

Marbled Pim

Leiarius marmoratus

Also known as marbled pimelodid, sailfin pim, leiarius pim, marbled sailfin catfish, marmoratus pim, ปลาเรดเทลมาร์เบิล, レイアリウス・マルモラートゥス, 大理石帆鳍鲶, 帆鳍豹猫

A large South American catfish with a tall, sail-like dorsal fin, long whiskers and a pale body covered in dark marbling. It is kept by keepers of big catfish for its striking pattern and its fairly calm, confident behaviour once settled.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

60 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

2000 litres

Keep as

Single specimen, or a group only in a very large system

Diet

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

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 20 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon and Orinoco basins and the Essequibo (Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Guyana)

Breeding

It spawns seasonally in rivers during the floods and has not been bred in home aquariums. Captive-bred fish come mainly from hybrid farming in South America, sometimes crossed with other pims.

Good to know

It grows to around 60 cm or more and will swallow any fish that fits in its mouth, so it needs a huge tank and large tankmates. Hybrids with Pseudoplatystoma and other pims are sold under similar names.