Home · Pimelodidae · Catfish
Catfish (Luciopimelodus pati) — Pimelodidae

Catfish

Luciopimelodus pati
Family: Pimelodidae

The Catfish (Luciopimelodus pati) is a freshwater fish of the family Pimelodidae that grows up to 103 cm.

Length
103 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The pati catfish is a large freshwater catfish (Pimelodidae) from the La Plata basin of southern South America. The species grows to about 1 metre and has a streamlined, silver-grey body with a broad head, a deeply forked tail and three pairs of long barbels. As a nocturnal predator it swims in large rivers and hunts fish and invertebrates. It is an important food fish. The fish is harmless to humans, though the pectoral and dorsal fin spines can prick.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Catfish?

The Catfish has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Catfish live?

The Catfish lives in fresh water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Catfish get?

The Catfish grows to a maximum of about 103 cm.

Is the Catfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Catfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Catfish edible?

Yes, the Catfish is commonly eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Patí-meerval verified
English name
Catfish verified
Scientific name
Luciopimelodus pati
Family
Pimelodidae
Other names
Pati verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
103.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
Yes sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Netvisserij sourced
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

More from the family Pimelodidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →