All fish / Pimelodidae

Tiger Shovelnose Catfish

Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum

Also known as tiger shovelnose, tiger catfish, tiger sorubim, tigrinus catfish, tigrinus, shovelnose tiger catfish, tiger shovelnose cat, ปลาเสือตอแอมะซอน, タイガーショベルノーズキャットフィッシュ, ikan tigrinus, 虎皮鸭嘴鱼, 虎鸭嘴

A long, flat-headed predatory catfish with a silvery body marked by dark wavy bars and spots, plus very long whiskers. It is kept by owners of huge tanks for its striking pattern and its active, bold behaviour.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

80 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

3000 litres

Keep as

Single specimen; only with fish too large to swallow

Diet

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

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 20 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon and Orinoco basins (Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador)

Breeding

It spawns during seasonal floods in the wild, migrating upriver. It has not been bred in home aquariums, and stock in the trade comes from wild collection or hormone-induced farm spawning.

Good to know

Juveniles sold at 10 cm can exceed 1 m in length, so very few hobbyists can house an adult, and public aquariums rarely accept unwanted ones. It will eat any tankmate that fits in its mouth and can damage itself by bolting into glass when startled.