All fish / Doradidae

Ripsaw Catfish

Oxydoras niger

Also known as black doradid, giant talking catfish, black dora, cuiu cuiu, giant raphael catfish, ripsaw cat, オキシドラス・ニゲル, 黑骨鲶, 巨型黑铁甲

This big, dark grey to brown thorny catfish carries a row of sharp bony scutes along each flank and has a pointed snout with fringed barbels. Mostly public aquaria and keepers with huge tanks keep it, because it is calm and has a lot of character, but it grows far too big for most homes.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

60 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

3000 litres

Keep as

Single specimen, or a group only in very large systems

Diet

Omnivore: sinking pellets, prawns, mussels, earthworms, fish fillet and vegetables

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 20 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon, Essequibo and São Francisco basins: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana

Breeding

No one has recorded it breeding in home aquaria. In the wild it is thought to migrate and scatter its eggs during the flood season.

Good to know

Juveniles are sold small, but adults can reach 1 m in total length and need tank volumes of several thousand litres. The sharp lateral scutes catch easily in nets, so move the fish in a container instead.