Brachyplatystoma filamentosum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Pimelodidae
Genus: Brachyplatystoma
Species:
B. filamentosum
Binomial name
Brachyplatystoma filamentosum
(Lichtenstein, 1819)
Synonyms
  • Brachyplatystoma goeldii
  • Pimelodus filamentosus
  • Piratinga piraaiba
  • Platystoma affine
  • Platystoma gigas
  • Sorubimichthys gigas

Brachyplatystoma filamentosum, commonly called piraíba, kumakuma, valentón or lau lau, is a species of catfish of the family Pimelodidae and genus Brachyplatystoma that is native to Amazon and Orinoco River basins and rivers in Guianas and northeastern Brazil.[1][2]

Distribution

The species is found in rivers and estuaries of Amazon and Orinoco watersheds, Guianas and northeastern Brazil.[2]

Description

It grows to a length of 2.8 m.[1] The largest Amazon piraíba are 2 – 2.5 m long and weigh more than 150 kg. Juveniles exhibit dark body spots or blotches.[3]

It is entirely piscivorous preying on loricariids and other bottom-dwelling fish.[3]

Ecology

Brachyplatystoma filamentosum is found in both freshwater and brackish water systems. The species is a demersal potamodromous fish that commonly inhabits deeper, flowing channels with soft bottoms.[2]

Uses

As a large fish, piraíba are considered to be game fish and commercial fish. They are generally obligate piscivores; however, stomach contents have been found to include parts of monkeys.[4]

Piraíba are sometimes kept in aquaria, although the adults need a very large tank to accommodate their swimming.[5]

A man poses beside a captured piraiba
Juvenile piraiba

References

  1. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2020). "Brachyplatystoma filamentosum" in FishBase. June 2020 version.
  2. 1 2 3 "Cat-eLog - Pimelodidae - Brachyplatystoma vaillantii". Planet Catfish. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  3. 1 2 "Brachyplatystoma ilamentosum (LICHTENSTEIN, 1819) - Piraíba". Seriously Fish. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  4. ↑ "Kumakuma (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum) Ecological Risk Screening Summary" (PDF). fws.gov. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  5. ↑ Jarikov, Viktor. "True piraiba aka Brachyplatystoma filamentosum". monsterfishkeepers.com. MonsterFishKeepers. Retrieved 12 December 2023.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.