Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Pimelodidae (Long-whiskered catfishes)
Etymology: Brachyplatystoma: Greek, brachys, eia = short + Greek, platys = flat + Greek, stoma = mouth (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: François Levaillant (1753–1824) was a French traveller, explorer, collector and naturalist. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Valenciennes.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; brackish; demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243). Tropical
South America: Amazon and Orinoco River basins and major rivers of the Guianas and northeastern Brazil.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 150 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217); common length : 80.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217); max. published weight: 20.0 kg (Ref. 5273)
Juveniles and subadults frequently found at river mouths and estuaries. Occurs downstream from the first falls where the water is charged with mud and the bottom is muddy. In the Amazon, it can sometimes be caught in the upper part up to the foot of the Andean range where it appears to be more rare than Brachyplatystoma filamentosum and Brachyplatystoma flavicus but never in the zones prone to flood. Reproductive migrations probably occur like in other Brachyplatystoma (Ref. 35381). Usually caught with longlines and drift nets (Ref. 35381). Its flesh of excellent quality is highly appreciated.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Lundberg, J.G. and M.W. Littmann, 2003. Pimelodidae (Long-whiskered catfishes). p. 432-446. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil. (Ref. 36506)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5078 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00513 (0.00294 - 0.00893), b=3.16 (3.01 - 3.31), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.5 ±0.80 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).
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Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 63.2 [30.7, 128.1] mg/100g; Iron = 0.903 [0.480, 1.814] mg/100g; Protein = 17.1 [15.8, 18.6] %; Omega3 = 0.13 [0.07, 0.24] g/100g; Selenium = 51.3 [25.7, 120.9] μg/100g; VitaminA = 19.3 [7.2, 52.2] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.798 [0.552, 1.166] mg/100g (wet weight);
