Pimelodus blochii
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Siluriformes (Catfishes)
Pimelodidae (Longwhiskered Catfishes)
Pimelodus
Pimelodus blochii
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal.
Distribution
South America: Gulf of Paria, Amazon, Corantijn, Essequibo, and Orinoco basins.
Habitat Associations
Freshwater, brackish. benthopelagic. Found in: streams.
Biology
Gregarious. Appears to be active either at night or during the day. Seeks shelter under dead wood and is capable of intestinal breathing (Ref. 35381). Commonly occurs in the lower reaches of large rivers. Known to feed on fruits, thus helping to scatter several plant seeds. Also feeds on small fishes and insects and often manifests the behavior of a detritivore (Ref. 27188). Probably migrate upstream during reproduction. The female lays an average of 50,000 eggs which are fertilized externally (Ref. 35381).
Max length: 35.0 cm TL; common length: 20.0 cm TL.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2020-12-27. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial.
References
Cervigón, F., R. Cipriani, W. Fischer, L. Garibaldi, M. Hendrickx, A.J. Lemus, R. Márquez, J.M. Poutiers, G. Robaina and B. Rodriguez (1992) Fichas FAO de identificación de especies para los fines de la pesca. Guía de campo de las especies comerciales marinas y de aquas salobres de la costa septentrional de Sur América. FAO, Rome. 513 p. Preparado con el financiamento de la Comisión de Comunidades Europeas y de NORAD.
Boujard, T., M. Pascal, F.J. Meunier and P.-Y. Le Bail (1997) Poissons de Guyane. Guide écologique de l'Approuague et de la réserve des Nouragues. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Paris, 219 p.
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.
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