Redtail Catfish

The redtail catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus), is a large species of South American pimelodid (long-whiskered) catfish. It is known in Venezuelan Spanish as cajaro; in Guyana, it is known as a banana catfish, and in Brazil it is known as pirarara, a fusion of words from the indigenous Tupi language: pirá and arara. It is the only extant species of its genus, Phractocephalus.

The redtail catfish is quite common in the aquarium trade, although it is often sold in its juvenile state, only measuring a few centimeters or inches at the time of sale. Additionally, they are often sold with little to no information for novice or uninformed buyers, with vague warnings, if any, regarding the fish's massive adult size. Thus, many redtail catfish are sold and subsequently purchased as very small specimens, soon outgrowing their new aquariums—something which makes them highly unsuitable for all but the largest, usually public, aquariums (or outdoor stock tanks, pools, ponds, lakes, etc).

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