All fish / Pimelodidae

Maracaibo pim

Pimelodus coprophagus

Also known as maracaibo pimelodus, pimelodus clarias coprophagus, spotted pim

This is a silvery long-whiskered catfish with dark spots and a deeply forked tail. It comes only from the Lake Maracaibo drainage, and its scientific name refers to the feeding habits Schultz recorded. It is kept mainly by catfish enthusiasts because it is active, hardy and rarely seen in the trade.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a small group of 3 or more in a large tank

Diet

Omnivore: sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm, prawn, mussel and fish pieces

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Maracaibo basin, Venezuela and Colombia

Breeding

It has not been reliably bred in aquariums. In the wild it is thought to scatter eggs during seasonal spawning runs.

Good to know

It grows large and is very active, so it needs a big tank with plenty of swimming room. It will eat small fish, and its fin spines can catch in nets and hurt hands.