(Please note that the fish shown in the photo is only a representative of what an adult specimen would look like. The color may vary based on the age and sex of the fish you receive.)
Scientific Name: Pimelodus blochii
Common Name: Four-lined Pimodella, Dusky Pimelodid, Bloch’s Catfish
Adult Size: 14 inches
Life Expectancy: 8 years
Habitat: South and Central America, from Panama to Brazil
Minimum Tank Size: 55 gallon
Ideal Tank Conditions:
- Temperature Range: 68 - 79° F
- pH Range: 6.0 - 7.5
- Hardness Range: 4 - 10
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Diet & Nutrition: Omnivores; consume most fish foods, but prefer meaty foods, especially worms. Will eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods as well as pellets, tablets, and any foods that reach the bottom region of the tank.
Breeding & Spawning: Have not been successfully bred in aquariums. In the wild the Pimelodus blochii are seasonal breeders. Spawning occurs only once a year during the rainy season, and only for a short period of time. The female lays an average of 50,000 eggs which are fertilized externally.
Gender: There is no known way to sexually differentiate these fish – males may grow larger.