All fish / Pimelodidae

White Pimelodus

Pimelodus albicans

Also known as white pim, white pimelodus catfish, moncholo catfish, moncholo, albicans pim

A large, plain silvery grey long-whiskered catfish with a deeply forked tail, related to the more familiar pictus cat. It comes from the cooler southern part of South America, where it is an important food fish, and only turns up now and then in the aquarium trade for specialist keepers of big catfish.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

35 cm

Temperature

18 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

800 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a small group in a very large tank

Diet

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

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Paraná, Paraguay and Uruguay river basins and Río de la Plata (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay)

Breeding

In the wild it spawns in open water during seasonal migrations and the eggs drift freely. It has not been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

Grows to well over 30 cm and can reach about 50 cm, so it needs a very large tank, and it will eat any fish small enough to swallow. The fin spines are sharp and mildly venomous, so take care when netting it.