FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Red tailed black sharks, IME, grow well beyond 5".

The thing is that, in the aquarium, it is nearly impossible for a specimen to grow larger than wild indivduals. I am not doubting that the fish is 19", but I do not believe it to be the species in question. Even fish living in a several thousand gallon aquariums are dwarfed by your fellow. Perhaps we could get a photo for IDing the fish.

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 15-May-2005 22:56

Where are those pics?

Ah, in that case, I desist--but then again, that is still VERY large for an aquarium raised specimen. Pics anyways, as they are awesome characins.

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 23-May-2005 23:26

Ah, so the SL is nearer 12-13 inches then???


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I can try to get pictures when I go into work (I don't work during the week), but I have to get permission before lugging the camera in. It isn't mine, so...
Now remember, this is about fifteen inches total length as I said in the first post, not standard. That includes much of the tail.

---

And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

As perhaps they bought it and it ate some of there fish and they didn`t liek it, it was too aggresive or something

Why would someone buy it at adult size, only to give it away soon after. Even large characins only live a few years~10.

EDIT: NICK!! PICS!! :-D

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 18-May-2005 23:18

No, it was caught at that size and the person bought it and had to give it away or something. Could have been a unwanted gift he had

I don't see why someone would catch a 16 inch prochilodus and then turn him over to an LFS.

Here is what I thinking, perhaps it is a wild caught specimen?

Everyone sayin it would only reach that in wild so how we know it wasn`t caught that big from wild Just my opinion!

That would be great to see a photo as this fish, no matter what it turns out to be must be an impressive sight.

---

Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Sizes I've had quoted to me include:

Red Tailed Black Shark : 7 inches in large aquarium, 8 a possibility;

Prochilodus insignis: 11 inches in large aquarium (but this doesn't rule out Sirbooks' extra large specimen, as they may reach this size in the wild);

Clown Loach : 16 inches in the wild, possibly 18 inches, though unlikely to reach this except in a truly huge aquarium.

Sirbooks, get a photo of your monster fish ASAP, I want to see this - especially if you can get a photo that includes some other object in the frame to provide an idea of scale. Apart from anything else, an insignis that is 16 inches SL will be awesomely impressive - and a good warning to propsective keepers what they're letting themselves in for!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

PROCHILODUS INSIGNIS

any info on this fish. it looks very odd almost like a hybred. i have room in my 75G will this be enough. i don't want it to grow into a tinfoil barb.

I can vouch for those foot-long Clown Loaches. The Capitol Aquarium in Sacramento has one that large in its main display tank for really big fish (along with an Upside-Down Catfish of comparable size). If I remember correctly, the Loach is 40 years old.

I dunno what to say, then. It doesn't look like S. kneri or S. laticeps, and I doubt that it is any of the other rare Semaprochilodus, simply because the chances of a customer giving us one for free (as did happen) would be remote. It looks most akin to S. insignis and S. taeniurus, which I understand to be the two most common of these fish. They both are supposed to top out at twelve inches in size.

I still think it's possible that this fish is just larger than most others of its species. A member of this site had a six-seven inch red tail black shark, though they're not supposed to grown beyond five inches. There have also been reports of two foot clown loaches caught in Asia; though unconfirmed, they certainly provide food for thought. Really, I just can't think of a more plausible explaination. Too bad there aren't many books out there that describe this genus in any depth. They could help me to figure this out.:%)

I guess this is going to be a mystery.

---

And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

All semaprochilodus sp. are colored similarly. It could easily be another fish, but definitely not insignis. 16" TL + cadual makes for at least a nineteen inch fish, which is nearly a third larger than what I've ever seen.

I can't see what else it would be, and believe me, I've looked! It definitely appears to be a Prochilodus insignis, just a hulked-out one. It is priced at $199.99... Any takers?

EDIT: Oh yeah- I looked at it today, and it's fifteen inches. Still a pretty big fish.

Last edited by sirbooks at 15-May-2005 18:53

---

And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

In the home aquaria, they are usually kept alone, simply to supress their nasty temperament towards conspecifics (unlike other large, spindle shaped characins, prochilodontids are fairly mild mannered towards other fish). If you want six severly beaten up fish, get a shoal.

Also, sir, the fish you are seeing is likely another species of semaproch., as I've worked with full grown specimens kept in the several thousand gallon main tank (alligator gars, apis, pacu, etc. etc.--I think they kept them in the manatee exhibit as well) in SWSD's freshwater house, and I've never seen a 16 inch TL proch. Even the largest reach a hefty foot in length at max size.

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 14-May-2005 22:28

From my above post:

"And no, they're not hybrids."

---

And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

ok so it sounds out of the question. my other question is, is it a hybred?