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Scientific Name Pseudoplatystoma punctifer  (Castelnau, 1855)
Common Name Spotted Tiger Shovelnose Catfish
Type Locality Amazon River, Brazil.
Synonym(s) Platystoma punctifer
Pronunciation SUE doh plah tee stow mah
Etymology (Greek)Pseudos=False +(Greek)platys=flat +(Greek)stoma=mouth. 
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Size 1100mm or 43.3" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
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Distribution Orinoco River, Colombia and Venezuela.
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.
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Feeding Carnivore feeding on a very mixed and varied diet including earthworms, whole prawns, mussels, fish fillets, floating sticks/pellets and catfish pellets. User data.
Furniture Large, spacious tank with open space for night time cruising. A large shady bogwood root or pipe that the catfish can retreat to during the day is also required. Ensure the heater is in the open and not in a place where the catfish may try and hide. When larger a hide is not necessary.
Compatibility Ideally suited to life with other large fish. These catfish are predatory and will eat smaller fish if hungry. Claimed by some to behave aggressively/territorially towards other catfish.
Suggested Tankmates Other large catfish such as Oxydoras, Pterodoras and Megalodoras. Other fish should always be over half of its body length.
Breeding Unreported in captivity although is commercially bred via egg stripping method which is often the source of fishes entering aquarium trade.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference Animaux nouveaux or rares v. 2, pp 40, Pl. 19 (fig. 2).
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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There is but a single record of this fish being seen, view it.
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Last Update 2019 Oct 13 03:13 (species record created: 2009 May 04 05:19)