Photo: Dquai, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Amazon sailfin catfish
Pterygoplichthys pardalis
49 cm
Adult size
900 L
Minimum volume
1
Minimum group
15 years
Lifespan
Water parameters
Understand these values- Genus
- Pterygoplichthys
- Diet
- omnivore, herbivore, algae eater
- Social life
- solitary
In the wild
Overview
One of the “common plecos” sold very small as algae eaters, although it exceeds 40 cm. Released or escaped from farms, it has become established in many tropical and subtropical regions outside its native range, where it is considered invasive.
- Scientific name
- Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Castelnau, 1855)
- Classification
- Siluriformes › Loricariidae
- IUCN Red List
- Least concern (LC)
Natural habitat
Amazon basin (lower, middle and upper reaches): Brazil, Peru; introduced to many countries
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Rivers and lakes
It lives in slow lowland water. It can breathe air, which allows it to tolerate oxygen-poor water.
Behaviour
Peaceful with other species but territorial towards bottom-dwellers of the same shape, it only suits very large tanks. A heavy waste producer, it needs powerful filtration. A grazer: plant-based sinking food, vegetables (courgette, cucumber), wood to rasp and a little frozen prey.