Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Pimelodidae (Long-whiskered catfishes)
Etymology: Pseudoplatystoma: Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, platys = flat + Greek, stoma = mouth (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Valenciennes.
Issue
We believe based on the original description, plate, and locality that Platystoma truncatum is a synonym of Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum. We have retained the younger name P. tigrinum (Valenciennes, 1840) for purposes of stability, there has been virtually no use of P. truncatum since its original description, thus we treat it as a Nomen oblitum. For reproductive biology and ecology, see Loubens and Panfili (2000).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; brackish; demersal; pH range: 6.2 - 7.2; dH range: ? - 20; potamodromous (Ref. 51243). Tropical; 22°C - 26°C (Ref. 12468)
South America: Amazon and Orinoco River basins.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?, range 99 - ? cm
Max length : 130 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 35381); max. published weight: 17.0 kg (Ref. 35381); max. reported age: 18 years (Ref. 34213)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Occurs in estuarine zones, mainly upstream of the first rapids up to the basin's headwaters. Nocturnal species which lives in the main bed of slow or fast zones, as well as in the flooded forests, particularly the juveniles., Opportunistic, piscivorous fish which may feed on crabs and shrimps. At the end of the dry season, they can migrate at the same time as their prey, then return at the end of the rainy season (Ref. 35381). Most important catfish in gill-net fisheries of Guaporé and Mamoré rivers.
Le Bail, P.-Y., P. Keith and P. Planquette, 2000. Atlas des poissons d'eau douce de Guyane. Tome 2, Fascicule II: Siluriformes. Collection Patrimoines Naturels 43(II): 307p. Paris: Publications scientifiques du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. (Ref. 35381)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5039 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00589 (0.00278 - 0.01246), b=3.09 (2.92 - 3.26), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.5 ±0.0 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tm=5-8; tmax=18).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High vulnerability (57 of 100).
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Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 39.1 [14.8, 139.0] mg/100g; Iron = 1.57 [0.51, 3.65] mg/100g; Protein = 18.6 [16.9, 20.1] %; Omega3 = 0.152 [0.087, 0.265] g/100g; Selenium = 62.5 [32.3, 128.9] μg/100g; VitaminA = 17.9 [7.5, 44.9] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.759 [0.539, 1.075] mg/100g (wet weight); based on
nutrient studies.
