All fish / Pimelodidae

Redtail Catfish

Phractocephalus hemioliopterus

Also known as red tail catfish, red-tailed catfish, rtc, redtail cat, pirarara, red tail cat fish, redtailed catfish, ปลากดหางแดง, ปลาเรดเทล, ikan keli ekor merah, レッドテールキャット, ikan red tail catfish

A huge pimelodid catfish with a broad flat head, long whiskers, a dark grey to black back, a creamy white belly band and a bright red-orange tail. Juveniles of a few centimetres are sold cheaply and look appealing, so it is often bought on impulse, but it is really suited to public aquaria and keepers with indoor ponds.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

100 cm

Temperature

20 to 28 °C

pH

5.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

10000 litres

Keep as

Single specimen; keep only with very large tankmates

Diet

Carnivore: fish fillet, prawns, mussels, earthworms and large carnivore pellets, fed sparingly once grown

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 20 years or more

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon and Orinoco basins and the Essequibo in South America (Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana)

Breeding

It has not been bred in home aquariums. Fish for the trade are produced in South American and Asian farms using hormone-induced spawning, often including hybrids with other pimelodids.

Good to know

Grows very fast to over a metre and well over 40 kg in the wild, and will swallow any tankmate that fits in its mouth; public aquaria rarely accept unwanted adults. Never release it into the wild, as it is an invasive risk in warm countries.