PlanetCatfish.com

Hello!

Yesterday I bought a Phractocephalus pseudopfasiatus, and I really don´t know anything about this fish... How big does it get and what should I feed it?

Grateful for answers

/Erik

That's not a proper name.

Does it look like this?

no, not really... It looks a lot like a redtail catfish but hasn´t got the same red color on it´s tail... The petshop owner said that it´s gets a lot smaller than the red tail, only about 30 cm (12 inches)... I just wanted to find out if thats true...

It's just a regular redtail then. The tail color varies quite a bit.

Okay...well that´s not very good:S... I didn´t think the fish was going to be that big in the future... But at least I got a good price, just $11 instead of the the "real" red tail price which was $42...But are you sure theres no other species of Phractocephalus then?

Thanks for the answers!

As currently understood, Phractocephalus is monotypic (i.e. there is only one species).

okay... Can you recommend any other predatory catfish that reaches about 12 inches?

Pim Ornatus ?
These are good and Quite active!

Thanks for the answers!

Would I be able to house the Sorubim lima with aggresive cichlids (like A. trimaculatum)? It´s pretty expensive, at least here in sweden and it would hurt my economy really much if the cichlid killed it...

Why is it there is the variations in tail color? And if the tail is not red, they are still considered Red Tails? Mine looks like an ordinary red tail, with the striking white streak down it's side and the spotted head, two small white dots beside the dorsal fin....except the tail is also grayish and edged with the white color. Also, the tail is rounder rather than the sharper caudal edges in the redder variation. Are they a different collection point? What explains the variation in tail color. Thanks.

There are a number of variables that explain differences in tail color. Genetics is one (this may be linked to regional variation), water conditions may be another (fishes with red tails are sometimes observed to have faded colors in turbid water), and diet is another (carotene rich foods will enhance the red).

Wildfish wrote:Mine looks like an ordinary red tail, with the striking white streak down it's side and the spotted head, two small white dots beside the dorsal fin....except the tail is also grayish and edged with the white color. Also, the tail is rounder rather than the sharper caudal edges in the redder variation.

Just sounds like a young specimen to me. Are you able to take and post any images?

I would love to take a pic to post, unfortunately, I'd love to see the cat himself! I have a nicely planted tank with caves of lace rock, so, I rarely see him myself. He's found a really nice spot to relax in all day and I try to coax him out at night by turning out the lights and feeding the tank. I have looked at red-tails for some time now in my local fish stores. I have definately noticed a trend between the true red tails with the more pointed tails and the rounder grayish tails with the white edging. I bought this guy even without the red tail because he was strikingly beautiful, a nice specimen. He is about 4-5 inches long, but not sure of the age, guess it depends on his history, feeding, water conditions etc. Thanks for the info though.