FishProfiles.com Message Forums

All right, yet another week to feature a rare fish for ya guys. This week's rare fish is actually a poor man's form of a past article's fish. However, it's still rare enough to get it's own place here!

RFotW #15 -- Brachyplatystoma juruense -- Juruense Catfish, False Tigrinus, Alianza Cat, Flash Zebra Cat



I have to say it's pretty darned hard to find a good pic of this fish for some strange reason... Oh well.

Meet the poor man's Tigrinus, the Juruense Catfish. This fish comes in basically two forms, one dull color and one bright color called the "Flash Zebra" (originating from the Nanay River; apparently other bright color variants of fish come from this river as well). However, even the duller-colored fish is, in my opinion, an attractive enough fish in its own right.

The family resemblance is obvious. This shovelnose is quite similar to the Tigrinus, and they look even more alike in the juvenile phase before the Tigrinus has developed striping. This fish has the quite a similar body shape to the Tigrinus; it's got the small eyes, that funny shovelnose, and even tail streamers. Really the only reason this fish is so different in price is this coloration.

However, the likeness doesn't stop at appearance. This fish grows to the same size as it's cousin, and so a tank large enough to hold a 2' fish is necessary. Of course, being a catfish, some hiding places should be provided. It is a meat eater as well, and also likes fast-paced water movement. These fish can be sensitive to bad water conditions, so make sure to keep the water clean for this fish.

I believe this fish can catch prices as low as $55 with juveniles, but expect to pay over $100 for a good sized fish as they don't tend to be caught very small.

Links:

[link=http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=12114&genusname=Brachyplatystoma&speciesname=juruense]http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=12114&genusname=Brachyplatystoma&speciesname=juruense" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]

[link=http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/pimelodi/brachypl/566_f.php]http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/pimelodi/brachypl/566_f.php" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]

[link=http://kingsoftheaquarium.com/juruensegallery.htm]http://kingsoftheaquarium.com/juruensegallery.htm" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]

Past RFOTW:
1. [link=Polynemus paradiseus -- Paradise threadfin]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/46807.html" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
2. [link=Anableps anableps -- Four-Eyed Fish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/47270.html" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
3. [link=Hypancistrus zebra -- Zebra Plec]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/47753.html?200409261201" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
4. [link=Potamotrygon sp. -- Pearl Ray]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/47753.html?200409261201" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
5. [link=Merodontotus Tigrinus -- Tigrinus Catfish, Zebra Shovelnose]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/48196.html?200410031445" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
6. [link=Rhinopias aphanes -- Merlet's Scorpionfish, Lacy Scorpionfish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/48511.html?200410101249" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
7. [link=Tetraodon pustulatus]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/48859.html?200410171215" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
8. [link=Astronotus orbicularis -- Bumblebee Oscar]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/49209.html?200410241022" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
9. [link=Parambassis pulcinella -- Rhino Glassfish, Humphead Glassfish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/49556.html?200410312127" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
10. [link=Lepisosteus platyrhincus -- Golden Florida Gar]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/49807.html?200411070900" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
11. [link=Polyodon spathula -- Missippi Paddlefish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/50120.html?200411141732" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
12. [link=Pterois radiata -- Radiata Lionfish, Clearfin Turkeyfish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/50432.html?200411211707" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
13. [link=Panaque suttonorum, Panaque suttoni -- Blue Eyed Plec]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/50738.html?200411281544" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
14. [link=Potamotrygon sp. -- P14, Itaituba Ray]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/51100.html?200412051413" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link][/font]

--------------------------------------------
The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

thats really cool!

This is a great article of a nice fish.
It's good to know that not all of those fish is very expencive
Looking forward to next week

---

I know human beings and fish can co-exist peacefully.

That's two of Richard Hardwick's "Big Pims" you've covered so far ... you haven't been visiting his collection have you?

Any chance of featuring the monster Brachyplatystoma filamentosum sometime? If only to warn the unwary about the perils of buying a 9 foot fish

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002