Niger ‘Ripsaw’ Catfish. (Pseudoras Niger). Max Weight 25kg.
Omnivorous.
The Niger ‘Ripsaw’ Catfish or Plated Catfish is found in found in various parts of the Amazon basin in South America. The Niger Catfish is the largest member of the Dorididae family of Catfish. This armour plated prehistoric looking creature inhabits a wide variety of waters including lakes and rivers of the flood plain and can be found in waters at an altitude of upto 300m. These Paleozoic Catfish are easily distinguishable with armour plated scaling along the lateral line. The Niger has a pair of barbules located on each side of its mouth which it uses to keenly search out prey items in the muddy substrate of rivers in the flood plain. An extremely impressive camouflaged colouration of a combination of black, green and brown shades adorn its flanks with the region in front of the fish’s dorsal fin being covered by a bony plate.
The Niger’s fins and tail are extremely bony and black in colouration with the fish having in some specimens an almost barnacled appearance.
The Niger Catfish subsists on a diet of plant and vegetable matter in addition to mollusks and invertebrates found in the muddy substrate which it inhabits.
The Niger ‘Ripsaw’ Catfish is has only been stocked into one venue in Thailand, Topcats fishing resort in Koh Samui where it has attained record breaking weights of 36lb 1oz.
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