Banded banjo
Platystacus cotylephorus
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A banjo catfish from coastal waters and lower river reaches of northern South America, from Venezuela to northern Brazil. It lives mostly in brackish water, on soft, turbid bottoms near river mouths. It is the only member of its genus and reaches 32 centimetres. The female carries the eggs attached to her belly until they hatch.
- Scientific name
- Platystacus cotylephorus
- Family
- Aspredinidae
Fact sheet
General
- Water
- Brackish
- Group
- Fish
Taxonomy
- Family
- Aspredinidae
- Order
- Siluriformes
- Synonyms
- Aspredo cotylephorus, Aspredo sexcirrhis, Aspredo spectrum, Cotylephorus blochii, Platystacus nematophorus, Silurus hexadactylus
Origin
- Native region
- América do Sul, América do Norte
Water
- Temperature
- 22–25 °C
- pH
- 6–8.2
- General hardness (GH)
- 12–30 °dGH
Size and lifespan
- Adult size
- 32 cm
- Minimum tank (volume)
- 108 L
- Minimum tank (length)
- 120 cm
Behavior
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Swimming level
- Bottom
Care
- Care difficulty
- Moderate
Conservation and trade
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
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