All fish / Pimelodidae

Sturgeon Catfish

Platystomatichthys sturio

Also known as sturgeon catfish, duckbill catfish, platystomatichthys, sturio catfish

This is a slender, pale grey long-whiskered catfish with a long, flattened snout that some say looks like a sturgeon's, and a deeply forked tail. Specialist keepers of South American pimelodids prize it for its unusual shape, and it turns up in the trade only now and then.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

35 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

800 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a small group in a very large tank

Diet

Carnivore: small fish, prawns, earthworms, bloodworm and sinking carnivore pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon basin (Brazil, Peru, Colombia)

Breeding

No captive breeding has been recorded. All the fish on sale are collected from the wild.

Good to know

It grows large, needs a lot of swimming room and strong, clean water flow, and will eat any fish small enough to fit in its mouth. Imported fish can be nervous and difficult to get feeding.