Shark Catfish - Size | Food | Care | Tank Mates

A shark catfish are a part of the species under the family Pangasiidae. A shark catfish is present in recent and brackish waters throughout southern Asia, from Pakistan to Borneo.

Shark Catfish Profile

This article will let you know about shark catfish size, food, care, tank mates, for sale, species, breeding, freshwater, diet, etc.

Among the many 30-odd members of this family is the plant-eating, endangered Mekong large catfish Pangasianodon gigas, one of the many largest recognized freshwater fish.

A number of shark catfish species are the premise of productive aquaculture industries in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.

Also called the Black Fin Shark, the Columbian Shark is a catfish that is able to develop fairly giant in an aquarium.

It could even be known as Jordan’s Catfish or the West American Cat Shark. The Columbian Shark has an excessive fin and lengthy “whiskers” that offer it a traditional catfish look.

Establishing a tank to match its pure surroundings would require loads of crops and rocks.

Because it grows fairly giant, beginning with a minimal tank dimension of 70 gallons is beneficial.

Because the Columbian Shark grows bigger, there’s a probability that the shark will eat smaller tank mates.

This species prefers some aquarium salt within the water, and may additionally be acclimated slowly right into a saltwater aquarium, as they dwell in each freshwater and saltwater throughout completely different instances of their life.

The feminine Columbian Shark will lay the eggs and the male will incubate them in his mouth to guard them.

Feed this shark catfish sinking catfish pellets, bloodworms, or top-quality algae meals.

Description

The dorsal fin is situated far ahead, near the top, and is commonly excessive and triangular, thus inspiring the widespread title.

The anal fin is considerably prolonged, with 26–46 rays. Normally, they’ve two pairs of barbels, maxillary barbels, and one pair of chin barbels, although grownup Mekong large catfish have solely maxillary barbels. Pangasiids have compressed our bodies and single small adipose fins.

The Shark Catfish has a gorgeous look to many fishkeepers and it isn’t onerous to see why it has change into a well-liked and simply obtainable fish.

A great deal of thought is required earlier than buying these fish, as they develop giants and require particular circumstances.

It might simply be argued that the Shark Catfish is barely actually suited to giant public aquariums and shouldn’t be bought for dwelling aquaria.

When younger the fish are very energetic and simple to take care of being hardy and peaceable, though they may eat smaller fish.

Because the fish age nevertheless, they have a tendency to change into duller and would require brackish water to outlive.

A big tank not less than 150cm is crucial and the water ought to be properly filtered and free from particles.

The Shark Catfish ought to be stored with giant fish, together with barbs and cichlids. Don’t attempt to catch these fish with an ordinary internet as they’ve spines that may change into entangled within the internet and virtually unimaginable to take away.

When totally grown, the White Tip Shark Catfish can simply attain or exceed a foot in size, making it a poor alternative for smaller tanks housing bite-sized tankmates.

And much more troublesome, this species does greatest long-term in brackish water circumstances.

Its pure vary is alongside the Jap Pacific shoreline from Mexico to Peru, the place it may be present in quite a lot of habitats.

Specimens are sometimes encountered in estuaries—areas the place the various rivers in this area empty into the Pacific.

Nonetheless, A. seemanni can be present in full marine circumstances, which is the place the species breeds, and in freshwaters, the place the males swim to deposit their fertilized eggs.

Finally, the younger descend from these freshwater nursery grounds to inhabit the low salinity circumstances that they spend most of their lives in.

Juveniles are extensively obtainable and massively fashionable due to their good-looking, silvery bodies and shark-like look, they even cruise across the backside in a remarkably shark-like method.

That is actually an unimaginable fish, however, whereas the juveniles do positive in onerous freshwater circumstances, profitable long-term husbandry is mostly mentioned to necessitate a measurable quantity of salt of their water.

This narrows down the record of appropriate tankmates to these fishes which equally tolerate or thrive in brackish circumstances: scats, monos, livebearers, pufferfishes, and so forth.

Or, alternatively, it’s the potential to acclimate the White Tip Shark Catfish to increased salinity ranges and maintain it with marine species.

For these keen to decide to offer for the husbandry wants of Ariopsis seemanni, a small group of shark catfish could make for an actual centerpiece in a bigger aquarium.

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