Freshwater Fish Species Profiles

125. VOLKSWAGEN PLECO "LDA65" (Panaque sp.)
FAMILY: Loricariidae
TYPE: Catfish
MAX SIZE: 20" (approx. 50cm)
ORIGIN: Peru, South America
DIET: Omnivorous
CHARACTER: Peaceful
MISC: the biggest panaque, wood eater



124. CHOCOLATE ZEBRA PLECO "L270" (Hypancistrus debilittera)
FAMILY: Loricariidae
TYPE: Catfish
MAX SIZE: 4" (approx. 10cm)
ORIGIN: Rio Xingu, Rio Tapajos, Brazil (South America)
DIET: Omnivorous
CHARACTER: Peaceful

MISC: main diet should consist of meaty foods, often also accept accepts vegetable matter such as algae/spirulina disks and fresh vegetables

123. CACHORRO (Acestrorhynchus falcatus)
FAMILY: Acestrorhynchidae
TYPE: Characins
MAX SIZE: 10" (approx. 25cm)
ORIGIN: South America
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: oftenly referred as "FRESHWATER BARRACUDA", will eat smaller fish, a schooling fish that should be either keep singly or in groups of 6 or more, if kept in groups of 2-5 fish, fighting will occur

122. AFRICAN PIKE (Hepsetus odoe)
FAMILY: Hepsetidae
TYPE: Characins
MAX SIZE: 28" (approx. 70cm)
ORIGIN: Africa
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: relatively short-lived and may only live about five years, occurs in most coastal rivers, lakes and swamps throughout Africa

121. BOWFIN FISH (Amia Calva)
FAMILY: Amiidae
TYPE: Miscellanious
MAX SIZE: 30" (approx. 75cm)
ORIGIN: North America
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: colder water is essential, requires a large tank with a good filtration system to keep the water clean, just like their natural environment,

Freshwater Fish Species Profiles

120. LIME PIKE / NORTHERN PIKE (Esox lucius)
FAMILY: Esocidae
TYPE: Miscellanious
MAX SIZE: 25" (approx. 150cm)
ORIGIN: North America
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: prefer colder water, put lots of hiding caves and plants so it can hide and ambush on the prey, solitary and highly territorial

119. FIREWOOD CATFISH (Sorubimichthys planiceps)
FAMILY: Pimelodidae
TYPE: Catfish
MAX SIZE: 64" (approx. 160cm)
ORIGIN: South America
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: considered ''Vulnerable'' to extinction due to overfishing by commercial fisheries, under Colombian law, specimens under 95 cm may not be retained

118. WELS CATFISH (Silurus glanis)
FAMILY: Siluriidae
TYPE: Catfish
MAX SIZE: 193" (approx. 490cm)
ORIGIN: Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, and Central Asia
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: not to be trusted with any other fish, best kept in a pond, it uses its sharp pectoral fins to capture prey

117. PIRAYA PIRANHA (Pygocentrus piraya)
FAMILY: Characidae
TYPE: Characins
MAX SIZE: 24" (approx. 60cm)
ORIGIN: South America
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: very good water quality is required to achieve maximum growth rate and good health, the biggest of all piranhas, oftenly referred as "king piranha"

116. POLKA DOT STINGRAY (Potamotrygon leopoldi)
FAMILY: Potamotrygonidae
TYPE: Miscellanious
MAX SIZE: 16" (approx. 40cm)
ORIGIN: South America
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Semi Aggressive

MISC: water has to be kept very clean and regular water changes and good filtration is a must, sensetive to many chemicals including many common fish medicines

Freshwater Fish Species Profiles

115. GIANT MEKONG CATFISH (Pangasianodon gigas)
FAMILY: Pangasiidae
TYPE: Miscellanious
MAX SIZE: 120" (approx. 300cm)
ORIGIN: South America
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: one of the worlds largest freshwater fish, become rare due to overexploitation, international trade banned (CITES I, since 1.7.1975; CMS Appendix I).

114. WOLF FISH (Hoplias malabaricus)
FAMILY: Erythrinidae
TYPE: Miscellanious
MAX SIZE: 20" (approx. 50cm)
ORIGIN: South and Central America
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive
MISC: make sure the tank has a strong tight-fitting cover, as this powerful fish may jump, oftenly referred as "Piranha eater", are due to its aggressive nature most suitable to be kept alone



113. AUSTRALIAN LUNGFISH (Neoceratodus forsteri)
FAMILY: Ceratodontidae
TYPE: Miscellanious
MAX SIZE: 60" (approx. 150cm)
ORIGIN: Queensland, Australia
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: protected species and may not be captured without a special permit, it is also listed in Appendix 2 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

112. SOUTH AMERICAN LUNGFISH (Lepidosiren paradoxus)
FAMILY: Lepidosirenidae
TYPE: Miscellanious
MAX SIZE: 50" (approx. 125cm)
ORIGIN: South America
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: is the single species of lungfish found in swamps and slow-moving waters in South America, juveniles feed on larval insects and snails, while adults are omnivorous and feed on aquatic vertebrates, invertebrates such as snails, clams and shrimp, and algae

111. SLENDER LUNGFISH (Protopterus dolloi)
FAMILY: Protopteridae
TYPE: Miscellanious
MAX SIZE: 52" (approx. 130cm)
ORIGIN: Africa
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: best to keep these fish in their own tank, as they are fearless and will attack almost anything that moves, including human hands, prefer warm water

Freshwater Fish Species Profiles

110. MARBLED LUNGFISH (Protopterus aethiopicus aethiopicus)
FAMILY: Protopteridae
TYPE: Miscellanious
MAX SIZE: 80" (approx. 200cm)
ORIGIN: Africa
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive
MISC: consists of mollusks,small fishes and insects, young individuals feed almost wholly on insects


109. WEST AFRICAN LUNGFISH (Protopterus annectens annectens)
FAMILY: Protopteridae
TYPE: Miscellanious
MAX SIZE: 40" (approx. 100cm)
ORIGIN: West Africa
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: during the dry season, it secretes a thin slime around itself which dries into a fragile cocoon; it can exist in this state for over a year

108. PAYARA / SABRETOOTH CHARACINS (Hydrolycus scomberoides)
FAMILY: Characidae
TYPE: Characins
MAX SIZE: 30" (approx. 75cm)
ORIGIN: South America
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: a predatory that can only be kept with other equally large species, Prefers live fish and will eat anything that smaller then half it size, might eat even bigger fishes

107. GENGIS KHAN / CHAO PHRAYA GIANT CATFISH (Pangasius sanitwongsei)
FAMILY: Pangasiidae
TYPE: Catfish
MAX SIZE: 100" (approx. 250cm)
ORIGIN: Vietnam, Thailand (Southeast Asia)
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: oftenly mistaken as Pangasius sutchii especially at juvenile stage, oftenly referred as "Freshwater shark", the second biggest fish in the Mekong basins

106. ABA ABA KNIFEFISH (Gymnopterus niloticus)
FAMILY: Gymnarchidae
TYPE: Miscellanious
MAX SIZE: 56" (approx. 140cm)
ORIGIN: Africa
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive, extremely territorial

MISC: will bite anything that moves and ask questions later, almost resemble Electric Eels, and can produce the same type of electric shocks, but not as powerful

Freshwater Fish Species Profiles

105. ELECTRIC EEL (Electrophorus electricus)
FAMILY: Gymnotidae
TYPE: Miscellanious
MAX SIZE: 100" (approx. 250cm)
ORIGIN: South America
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive
MISC: capable of generating powerful electric shocks, which it uses for both hunting and self-defense, their scientific classification is closer to carp and catfish



104. ARAPAIMA (Arapaima gigas)
FAMILY: Osteoglossidae
TYPE: Miscellanious
MAX SIZE: more than 200" (approx. 500cm)
ORIGIN: South America
DIET: Carnivorous
CHARACTER: Aggressive

MISC: perhaps the biggest freshwater fish, has the ability to breathe air from the surface due to a lung-like lining of its throat, the tongue of this fish is thought to have medicinal qualities in South America. It is dried and combined with guarana bark, which is grated and mixed into water

103. CLOWN PLECO "L104", "L162", and "LDA22" (Panaqolus maccus)
FAMILY: Loriicaridae
TYPE: Catfish
MAX SIZE: 3.6" (approx. 9cm)
ORIGIN: Venezuela and Colombia (South America)
DIET: Omnivorous
CHARACTER: Peaceful
MISC: wood eater, has been commercially bred


102. BIG SPOTTED BARYANCISTRUS "L142" and "LDA33" (Baryancistrus sp.)
FAMILY: Loriicaridae
TYPE: Catfish
MAX SIZE: 10" (approx. 25cm)
ORIGIN: Rio Tapajos, Brazil (South America)
DIET: Omnivorous
CHARACTER: Peaceful

MISC: shows a fondness for sweet potato and algae wafers, feed a varied diet to keep this fish healthy, become increasingly territorial to other bottom dwellers (especially Loricariids) as it matures

101. KING TIGER PLECO "L66" (Hypancistrus sp.)
FAMILY: Loriicaridae
TYPE: Catfish
MAX SIZE: 5" (approx. 12cm)
ORIGIN: Rio Tocantins, Brazil (South America)
DIET: Omnivorous
CHARACTER: Peaceful

MISC: a distinctive L number that is only confused with a few other similarly patterned species, youngsters however are quite different from the adults