|Silurus hemioliopterus |Bloch & Schneider, 1801
|Pimelodus grunniens |Humboldt, 1821
|Rhamdia grunniens |Humboldt, 1821
|Phractocephalus bicolor |Spix & Agassiz, 1829
{edih}

}}The redtail catfish, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus, is a pimelodid (long-whiskered) catfish. In Venezuela, it is known as cajaro, in Guyana, it is known as a banana catfish, and in Brazil, it is known as pirarara, stemming from the Tupi language words (wikt:pirÃ¡|pirÃ¡) and (wikt:arara|arara).BOOK, Cunha, AntÃ´nio Geraldo da, DicionÃ¡rio etimolÃ³gico da lÃngua portuguesa, 2010, LEXIKON Editora, 9788586368899, 498â€“499, 4,books.google.com/books?id=4yiODwAAQBAJ, 14 July 2020, Portuguese, It is the only extant species of the genus Phractocephalus. This fish is common in the aquarium trade, although its massive adult size makes it unsuitable for all but the largest aquariums. They feed on fish, crustaceans and fallen fruits.WEB,dwazoo.com/animal/red-tailed-catfish/, Red-tailed catfish | the Dallas World Aquarium, 25 November 2013,

Fossil species

Although the redtail catfish is the only living representative of this genus, there are other members that date back to the upper Miocene, and are only known from fossil remains. P. nassi was described in 2003, from the Urumaco Formation at Urumaco, Venezuela. Another fossil species, P. acreornatus, is known from the SolimÃµes Formation, Acre, Brazil.Paleobiology DatabaseJOURNAL,www.scielo.br/pdf/ni/v1n2/v1n2a04.pdf, The late Miocene Phractocephalus catfish (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) from Urumaco, Venezuela: additional specimens and reinterpretation as a distinct species, John G., Lundberg, Aguilera, Orangel, Neotropical Ichthyology, 1, 2, 97â€“109, 2003, 10.1590/S1679-62252003000200004, free, This genus has a minimum age of about 13.5 million years.(File:Redtail catfish - tank - ibaraki - japan - sep 2017.webm|thumb|(video) Juvenile redtail catfish swimming in an aquarium)

Description

Phractocephalus hemioliopterus can reach about {{convert|1.8|m|abbr=on}} in length, and about {{convert|80|kg|abbr=on}} in weight.Fishing. World Records: Phractocephalus hemioliopterus. Retrieved 9 May 2013 However, this is exceptionally rare, and most do not approach this size. They average {{convert|42-54|in|ftin m|disp=out}} in length. These colorful large catfishes have a brownish back, with yellow sides, and characteristic orange-red dorsal fin and caudal fin (hence the common name). Sometimes the dorsal, pelvic and anal fins are also red. They have a broad head with long whiskers, dark black body and white underneath that extends from the mouth to the caudal fin. It has a pair of barbels on the upper jaw, and two pairs on the lower jaw. Their whiskers are sensitive and have chemical reception cells which are used as the sense of smell. They breed using external fertilization after laying their eggs. They communicate by making a clicking sound to warn off potential dangers.(File:Phractocephalus hemioliopterus (Lago Maximo, Brazil, 1 September 1865).jpg|alt=An 1865 watercolor painting of a redtail catfish from Brazil by Jacques Burkhardt.|left|thumb|An 1865 watercolor painting of a Brazilian redtail catfish by Jacques Burkhardt)

Distribution and habitat

The redtail catfish is native to the Amazon, Orinoco, and Essequibo river basins of South America, in Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana, Colombia, Peru, Suriname, Bolivia, and Brazil. It is found only in fresh water, and inhabits larger rivers, streams, and lakes.{{FishBase|genus=Phractocephalus|species=hemioliopterus|year=2012|month=February}}Seriously Fish They eat during the evening and night and stay motionless during the day. They are bottom-dwellers and move about quite slowly. Red-tailed catfish are territorial fish. Redtail catfish is also an invasive species in Malaysia; they are now found mostly in the Perak River and Pahang River.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

Relationship with humans

Due to the potential large size of this species, redtail catfish are considered a game fish by anglers. The current IGFA world record for weight belongs to the Brazilian Gilberto Fernandes with {{convert|56|kg|lboz|abbr=on}}.WEB,wrec.igfa.org/WRecordsList.aspx?lc=AllTackle&cn=Catfish,%20redtail%20%28pirarara%29, 3 April 2010, Catfish, redtail (pirarara), World Record Search, International Game Fish Association, 14 July 2014, It is said that the natives do not eat the meat of the redtail catfish because it is black in coloration.Axelrod, Herbert R. (1996). Exotic Tropical Fishes. T.F.H. Publications. {{ISBN|0-87666-543-1}}In Thailand, it is an alien species that has been introduced by humans, like the common pleco, zebra tilapia, and alligator gar.WEB, 10 à¸›à¸¥à¸²à¹€à¸à¹€à¸¥à¸µà¹ˆà¸¢à¸™à¹ƒà¸™à¹€à¸¡à¸·à¸à¸‡à¹„à¸—à¸¢ à¸—à¸µà¹ˆà¸à¸³à¸¥à¸±à¸‡à¸¢à¸¶à¸”à¹à¸«à¸¥à¹ˆà¸‡à¸™à¹‰à¸³à¹‚à¸”à¸¢à¸„à¸¸à¸“à¹„à¸¡à¹ˆà¸£à¸¹à¹‰à¸•à¸±à¸§,animals.spokedark.tv/?p=2218,animals.spokedark.tv/?p=2218," title="archive.today/20160630043531animals.spokedark.tv/?p=2218,">archive.today/20160630043531animals.spokedark.tv/?p=2218, dead, June 30, 2016, spokedark, August 13, 2014, June 30, 2016, Thai, In some places, it is feared because it has been believed to be the cause of the mysterious drownings of many of the passengers aboard the passenger ship Sobral Santos II when it sank.

In the aquarium

(File: Phractocephalus hemioliopterus-Dixi.jpg|thumb|Phractocephalus hemioliopterus in an aquarium)The redtail catfish is an extremely popular fish in Amazonian-themed exhibits at public aquaria, where they are often housed with other large fish, such as Colossoma macropomum or pacu, and other large catfish.Juveniles are often available as aquarium fish, despite their eventual large size. In an aquarium where they may be well-fed, these fish can grow quite rapidly, and require tanks of at least {{convert|10000|L|gal|abbr=on}} when fully mature. Weekly feeding is appropriate for this catfish; overfeeding is a common cause of death in this species.WEB,www.planetcatfish.com/cotm/cotm.php?article_id=77, PlanetCatfish::Catfish of the Month::January 2000, PlanetCatfish.com, 2006-05-11, 2007-05-08, It feeds heavily on live and dead fishes and other meat. Even as a juvenile of only a few inches in length, they are able to swallow many of the more common aquarium fish (such as tetras or guppies), and it is only appropriate to house this fish with other species of relatively large size. Redtail catfish also have a habit of swallowing inedible objects in the aquarium. Though these are often regurgitated, both the swallowing and the regurgitation can present a problem for the fish, and these objects are best kept out of the aquarium.The redtail catfish has been hybridized with other fish, such as the Pseudoplatystoma or Tiger Shovelnose Catfish, through the use of hormones, in attempts to create a viable food fish: the Tiger Redtail Catfish. These hybrid fish sometimes make it into the aquarium hobby under a variety of common names.

References

- content above as imported from Wikipedia
- "redtail catfish" does not exist on GetWiki (yet)
- time: 3:41am EDT - Wed, May 22 2024

[ this remote article is provided by Wikipedia ]

CONNECT

GetWiki

redtail catfish

Fossil species

Description

Distribution and habitat

Relationship with humans

In the aquarium

See also

References