Scientific Name
Hypophthalmus edentatus

Common Name
Highwaterman catfish

Biology
Pelagic species which lives in schools near the surface of the water (Ref. 35381). Found over soft muddy bottoms. Has no teeth in its jaws but possesses many long gill rakers that are used as a sieve for feeding on planktonic crustaceans like cladocerans, copepods and ostracods (Ref. 35381, 6868). Also feeds on debris, other plankton (Ref. 35381). Appears to follow the plankton's vertical movements during the day. Ovaries start to develop I November when the water level rises. Fractional spawning occurs between February and April. The female lays down 50,000 to 100,000 eggs according to its weight. Juveniles inhabit the lower part of streams in estuaries, adult are found more upstream (Ref. 35381). Marketed fresh and salted.

Classification

Classified By

Spix & Agassiz, 1829

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Catfish (Siluriformes)

Family

Long-whiskered catfishes (Pimelodidae)

Distribution

Region

South America

Distribution

South America: Amazon and Orinoco River basins and Atlantic coastal rivers of Guyana and Suriname (Ref. 36506). Reported from Paran? River (Ref. 56308).

Range

Unknown

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

37 m

Zone

pelagic

Environment

Freshwater; brackish; pelagic; potamodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range ? - 37 m (Ref. 5217)

Trophic Level

2.91 s.e. 0.30 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

False

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

57.5 cm

Common Length

45.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5625 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: minor commercial

Vulnerability

Moderate vulnerability (37 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.12-0.27)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated