All fish / Pimelodidae

Duckbill Catfish

Sorubim lima

Also known as shovelnose catfish, lima shovelnose catfish, duck billed catfish, duckbill shovelnose, sorubim catfish, spatula-nosed catfish, ปลาปากเป็ด, ソルビム・リマ, 鸭嘴鲶, 鸭嘴

A slim pimelodid catfish with a flattened, spoon-shaped snout, a protruding upper jaw and a bold dark stripe running along its pale grey body. It is kept for its unusual shape and its habit of hovering head-down among roots, and it is one of the more tolerant and less destructive large catfish.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

35 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

600 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a small group in a very large tank

Diet

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

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

South America: Amazon, Orinoco, Paraná-Paraguay and other major basins

Breeding

It is a seasonal migratory spawner in the wild and has not been reliably bred in home aquariums; trade stock is wild caught or farm produced with hormones.

Good to know

Grows to 35 to 50 cm and will swallow any fish small enough to fit in its mouth, so keep it only with large, robust tankmates. It is active at night and needs a tight lid and plenty of open swimming length.