All FishesPimelodidaeLeiarius  |  | 

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Scientific Name Leiarius marmoratus  (Gill, 1870)
Common Names Marbled Pim
Achara Catfish, Marmor-Prachtantennenwels (Germany), Sailfin Pimeloid
Type Locality Río Marañon or Río Napo, Amazon system, Peru or Ecuador.
Synonym(s) Sciades marmoratus
Pronunciation mar mo rat uss
Etymology The genus name is derived from Leios, meaning smooth and Arius which is a Greek for "dealing with Mars, warlike, belliose". It's the name of another catfish genus, so the combination is "smooth Arius". This specific epithet refers to its long (longus=long) barbels (barba=barbel).
Hop to next section Species Information
Size 1000mm or 39.4" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification Often confused with the rarely, if ever, encountered Perrunichthys perruno. The fishes are identical in terms of colouration although P. perruno has 8 (1 hard and 7 soft) dorsal fin rays, Leiarius has 10 or 11. Also similar to L. pictus, these two can be distinguished by L. pictus having a larger dorsal fin albeit this feature reduces with age.
Sexing Unknown.
General Remarks There is some history of confusion in the Leiarius genus. L. marmoratus was for some time a synonym of L. longibarbis, but it was taken out of synonymy by Ferraris in his Catalog of Catfishes (2007). Fish are still sometimes seen as L. longibarbis, but most likely they are L. marmoratus.
Hop to next section Habitat Information
Distribution South America: Amazon, Essequibo, and Orinoco basins.
Amazon (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Orinoco (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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IUCN Red List Category Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2020.
pH 5.8 - 7.4
Temperature 21.0-25.0°C or 69.8-77°F (Show species within this range)
Other Parameters Requires clean, regularly changed water can become listless and loses appetite if a regular water change regime is not adhered to.
Hop to next section Husbandry Information
Feeding Young fish will eat virtually anything, especially small tankmates. As the fish matures it should be fed less often and periods of fasting will maintain the fishes health as well as provide the aquarist with a more active pet. Aside from large catfish pellets, feeder fish, crab, prawn and crayfish are also taken. The more adventurous aquarist may also try large earthworms, maggots and small cubes of raw beef heart (taking care to remove all traces of fat). User data.
Furniture Large, thick branches or bogwood roots to provide cover over a rounded large pebble base is ideal. Sand is often ''re-arranged'' by larger fish and coarse gravel can irritate or even damage the fish. An open area for night time exercise should also be provided.
Compatibility Peaceful, although care should be taken to house with appropriately sized tankmates.
Breeding Unreported.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia v. 22.
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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Last Update 2020 Nov 08 05:13 (species record created: 2001 Apr 22 00:00)