This very attractive catfish is an as yet undescribed species that was found at Madre Selva Biological Station. Formal description will take place when additional specimens can be obtained.
@ Nature's Images, Inc., photo by David Schleser (natimg@flash.net)
A flattened catfish found in areas with sandy or hard packed bottoms. Females carry the eggs under their heads until the fry hatch.
@ Project Amazonas, Inc., photo by Devon Graham
A rarely encountered giant Peckoltia catfish - fish in this genus and the related Otocinclus and Hypoptopoma genera are very popular among aquarists, and are known as sucker catfish, or algae-eater catfish, for their habit of cleaning debris off of tank surfaces. They are very peaceful, and ideal for community tanks. Various species of algae-eaters are among the the fish most commonly exported from the Amazon.
@ Nature's Images, Inc., photo by David Schleser (natimg@flash.net)
A common catfish of floating meadow areas and frequently eaten by local people. These catfish have sharp scales along the sides of their bodies, and toothed pectoral and dorsal spines that can cause considerable damage if these fish are not handled carefully.
@ Project Amazonas, Inc., photo by Devon Graham
One of several species of slope-head catfish found in the region. These medium sized catfish are often eaten by local people, but are not valued for export to the cities or outside of the region - either for food, or for the aquarium trade.
@ Project Amazonas, Inc., photo by Devon Graham
A schooling catfish closely related to the popular Corydoras catfish that are found in many tropical fish tanks. These fish grow considerably larger than Corydoras, however, and the metallic green color visible when they are in air, is not visible underwater, consequently they have never attained the same popularity among aquarists, despite their very peaceful nature.
@ Project Amazonas, Inc., photo by Devon Graham
One of a large number of small but very popular catfish for home aquaria. Corydoras catfish are schooling fish that forage on the bottom for aquatic invertebrates and organic matter. They are air breathers, and must surface periodically to take a gulp of air, and will drown if they are prevented from doing so. Much of their oxygen exchange actually occurs in their intestine. Many species of Corydoras occur in the Amazon, with about 20 species in the area in which Project Amazonas operates.
@ Nature's Images, Inc., photo by David Schleser (natimg@flash.net)
These tubular, nearly blind catfish are common in larger rivers in the region. They are hated by local people due to their habit of boring into fish caught in gill nets or on trot lines, destroying the value of the catch. They are even more hated because they will also bore into the bodies of drowned individuals if the deceased person is not located swiftly enough.
@ Project Amazonas, Inc., photo by Devon Graham
The pimelodids are a large and well-represented group of catfish in the Amazon. Many species appear superficially similar, with streamlined bodies and long antennae. This particular species was recently encountered for the first time (by us) on a fish expedition to the Peruvian Amazon.
@ Nature's Images, Inc., photo by David Schleser (natimg@flash.net)
This large catfish of the river depths has a pink to golden color that gives it its local name "dorado", or "golden". These are predatory catfish that come into shallower water at night to feed on other fish. A long filament extends from the top of the tail, hence the specific name "filamentosum". Dorados are very popular food fish, with thick bone-free fillets, and are even flown to cities outside of the Amazon. The meat is white and delicately flavored - not at all "fishy". They can reach nearly 2 m (~6') in length.
@ Project Amazonas, Inc., photo by Devon Graham
An attractively marked shovel-nose catfish that is a popular food fish in the Amazon, as well as being highly desired by aquarists. The broad flat mouths of these catfish have the texture of coarse sandpaper, allowing them to maintain a firm grasp of their prey of fish, crustaceans, and other aquatic organisms.
@ Nature's Images, Inc., photo by David Schleser (natimg@flash.net)
An aptly named shovelnose catfish, and another highly desired food and aquarium fish species. This one was harpooned by a local fisherman - the end of the fishing spear is visible at mid-body, top.
@ Project Amazonas, Inc., photo by Devon Graham
Red-tail catfish reach large sizes (this one is still quite small), and have an attractive color pattern of white, black and red (including the tail). Many juveniles are exported from the Amazon for the aquarium trade, but these fish grow rapidly, and quickly become too big for most home aquaria. They are also voracious eaters, and cannot be kept with fish that are much smaller than they are. In nature, they feed on both fish and fallen fruit.
@ Project Amazonas, Inc., photo by Devon Graham
A closeup of the head shows the armored surface of the skull, covered with a thin layer of skin and tissue. The very sensitive antennae enable these catfish to find prey at night and in the murkiest of waters.
@ Project Amazonas, Inc., photo by Devon Graham
A suckermouth catfish with a very impressive dorsal fin. These fish scrape diatoms and other micro-organisms from logs and branches in the water, and may also ingest wood, relying on gut microflora to help break down the wood cellulose. In so doing, these catfish assist in the degredation and recycling of the vast quantities of wood that wash or fall into Amazonian rivers on an annual basis.
@ Project Amazonas, Inc., photo by Devon Graham
Catfish in this family are parasitic on other fish, feeding on the protective slime coating produced by the host fish, and/or entering the gills to feed on gill tissue. These are mostly small catfish, with pectoral spines which help to keep them in place when they enter fish gills. Another catfish in this same family, the infamous candiru, has been known to enter human urethras, apparently mistaking the opening for fish gills. This is a very rare occurrance, but it only takes once to become an instant legend!
@ Project Amazonas, Inc., photo by Devon Graham
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@ Project Amazonas, Inc., photo by Devon Graham
A highly prized catfish among catfish enthusiasts - this suckermouth catfish is highly ornamented with spots and spiky body armor. This individual was speared by a local fisherman on the Orosa River - the white marks on the flank are the wounds made by the home-made fishing spear. Local people eat a wide variety of catfish, including heavily armored species like this one.
@ Project Amazonas, Inc., photo by Devon Graham
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Loricaridae - suckermouth catfish: Peckoltia sp. - new catfish species
This very attractive catfish is an as yet undescribed species that was found at Madre Selva Biological Station. Formal description will take place when additional specimens can be obtained.
@ Nature's Images, Inc., photo by David Schleser (natimg@flash.net)
