Pseudoplatystoma

{{Short description|Genus of fishes}} {{Redirect|Surubi|the battle|Battle of Surubí}} {{More references|date=April 2025}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum1.jpg | image_caption = ''Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum'' | taxon = Pseudoplatystoma | authority = Bleeker, 1862 | type_species = ''Silurus fasciatus'' | type_species_authority = Linnaeus, 1766 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = | synonyms = * ''Hemiplatystoma'' Bleeker, 1862 }}

'''''Pseudoplatystoma''''' is a genus of several South American catfish species of the family Pimelodidae. The species are known by a number of different common names. They typically inhabit major rivers where they prefer the main channels and tend to stay at maximum depth, but some species can also be seen in lakes, flooded forests, and other freshwater habitats. They have robust bodies and are important food fish. Recently, their populations have been on the drastic decline due to a variety of factors, including overfishing and habitat destruction due to the construction of hydroelectric dams.

==Nomenclature== ''Pseudoplatystoma'' is a monophyletic genus of catfishes.<ref name=taxonomy/> ''P. fasciatum'' was the first species to be described, under the name ''Siluris fasciatus''.<ref name=fasciatum/> In 1829, ''P. corruscans'' was described under the name ''Platystoma corruscans'', and over a decade later, ''P. tigrinum'' was described as ''Platystoma tigrinum''.<ref name=corruscans/> In 1862, ''Pseudoplatystoma'' was described and these species transferred to it, with ''P. fasciatum'' as type species.<ref name=genus>{{FishBase genus|genus=Pseudoplatystoma|year=2007|month=May}}</ref>

Unrecognized species of ''Pseudoplatystoma'' have been included under the names ''P. fasciatum'' and ''P. tigrinum'' for decades. This genus traditionally contained only three species until 2007; currently, eight species are in this genus. ''P. orinocoense'', ''P. magdaleniatum'', and ''P. reticulatum'' were formerly recognized as ''P. fasciatum'', but are now recognized as distinct species. ''P. metaense'' is also now recognized as a distinct species from ''P. tigrinum''.<ref name=taxonomy>{{cite journal|url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2007f/zt01512p038.pdf|title=Taxonomy of the catfish genus ''Pseudoplatystoma'' Bleeker (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) with recognition of eight species|first=Uriel Angel|last=Buitrago-Suárez|author2=Burr, Brooks M. |journal=Zootaxa|volume=1512|pages=1–38|year=2007|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.1512.1.1|s2cid=86208297 |accessdate=2009-06-24}}</ref>

Two clades are recognized within the genus. One is the ''P. fasciatum'' clade which includes ''P. fasciatum'', ''P. orinocoense'', ''P. magdaleniatum'', ''P. reticulatum'', and ''P. corruscans''. Within this clade, ''P. fasciatum'' and ''P. punctifer'' are sister species, and ''P. orinocoense'' is sister to the clade formed by these two species. The other, the ''P. tigrinum'' clade, includes only ''P. tigrinum'' and ''P. metaense''. They are differentiated by anatomical characters.<ref name=taxonomy/>

The intergeneric relationships of this genus are well established. It forms a monophyletic group with ''Sorubim'', ''Sorubimichthys'', ''Hemisorubim'', and ''Zungaro''. Of these genera, ''Hemisorubim'' is most closely related to ''Pseudoplatystoma''.<ref name=suarez>{{cite journal|url=http://www.accefyn.org.co/PubliAcad/Periodicas/Volumen30/114/114_117_141.pdf |title=Anatomía Comparada y Evolución de las Especies de ''Pseudoplatystoma'' Bleeker 1862 (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) |first=Uriel Ángel |last=Buitrago-Suárez |journal=Rev. Acad. Colomb. Cienc. |volume=30 |issue=114 |pages=117–141 |year=2006 |accessdate=2009-06-24 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927144044/http://www.accefyn.org.co/PubliAcad/Periodicas/Volumen30/114/114_117_141.pdf |archivedate=September 27, 2007 }}</ref>

===Common names=== In their native waters, these fish may be called ''surubí'' in Guaraní, especially in Paraguay, where still both Spanish and Guaraní are spoken. This name is also used in some Spanish-speaking countries and in Portuguese-speaking Brazil (''surubi'' or ''surubim''). In Peruvian Spanish, they are called ''doncella'' or ''zúngaro''. ''P. corruscans'' may be called ''moleque'' or ''pintado''.<ref name=brito>{{cite journal|title=Reproduction of the surubim catfish (Pisces, Pimelodidae) in the São Francisco River, Pirapora Region, Minas Gerais, Brazil|last=Brito|first=M.F.G.|author2=Bazzoli, N. |journal=Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia|volume=55|issue=5|year=2003|doi=10.1590/S0102-09352003000500018|pages=624|doi-access=free}}</ref> They often are referred to in the vernacular as ''bagre rayado''/''rajado'' or ''pintadillo''/''pintado'' (tiger catfish or tiger–shovelnose).<ref name=taxonomy/> ''P. corruscans'', ''P. fasciatum'', and ''P. tigrinum'' are also known as '''spotted sorubim''', '''barred sorubim,''' and '''tiger sorubim''', respectively.<ref name=corruscans>{{FishBase|genus=Pseudoplatystoma|species=corruscans|year=2007|month=May}}</ref><ref name=fasciatum>{{FishBase|genus=Pseudoplatystoma|species=fasciatum|year=2007|month=May}}</ref><ref name=tigrinum>{{FishBase | genus = Pseudoplatystoma | species = tigrinum | year = 2007 | month = May}}</ref> This genus is collectively referred to as the '''tiger shovelnose catfish''' in the aquarium hobby, as the species in this genus are relatively easy to confuse.

==Description== [[File:Pseudoplatystoma distribution.png|thumb|Combined distribution map and phylogeny of ''Pseudoplatystoma spp.'']] ''Pseudoplatystoma'' species are all large and boldly striped or spotted catfishes. They are familiar due to their distinctively marked color patterns. They are also recognized due to a depressed head, an occipital process extending backward to contact the predorsal plate, and a very long fontanel.<ref name=taxonomy/>

After gonadal maturation, females tend to grow faster than males.<ref name=brito/> They have a large, depressed head with an expandable mouth. The eyes and teeth are small. They have dorsal and pectoral fin spines; ''P. fasciatum'' also has an additional, smaller, dorsal spinelet preceding the dorsal spine.<ref name=suarez/> They exhibit typical barbels of catfish, the maxillary barbels sometimes being quite long, especially in juveniles.

The currently recognized species in this genus include:<ref name=taxonomy/><ref>{{FishBase genus | genus = Pseudoplatystoma| month = February | year = 2012}}</ref> * ''Pseudoplatystoma corruscans'' (Spix & Agassiz, 1829) (spotted sorubim); has a body covered by large spots in six to eight rows with four to 13 pale vertical bars. The adipose fin contains five to 10 or no spots, the caudal fin has few spots. It reaches a maximum size of 114 cm (45 in) TL.<ref name=taxonomy/>

* ''Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum'' (Linnaeus, 1766) (barred sorubim); has 10–11 dark vertical bars that are relatively wider than other species of the Amazon, with fewer white vertical bars than dark ones; the pectoral fins and pelvic fins are darker with few or no spots; and the skull is at least one-sixth narrower than other species. It reaches a maximum of 90 cm (35 in) in total length (TL).<ref name=taxonomy/>

* ''Pseudoplatystoma magdaleniatum'' Buitrago-Suárez & Burr, 2007; has wide, straight, dark vertical bars on its sides. No loops occur on the nape and associated areas. The pectoral fin has no spots, the dorsal fin has few or no spots, and the adipose has six or seven large spots. It has a maximum recorded length of 100 cm (39 in) TL.<ref name=taxonomy/>

* ''Pseudoplatystoma metaense'' Buitrago-Suárez & Burr, 2007;has dark spots randomly distributed over the dusky region of its body; also, no more than five straight dark vertical bars are found on the side of the body. The adipose fin has fewer spots (five to seven) than in ''P. tigrinum'' (eight to 10). The pectoral and pelvic fins are pale without any dusky pigmentation. It has a maximum recorded length of about 53 cm (21 in) TL.<ref name=taxonomy/>

* ''Pseudoplatystoma orinocoense'' Buitrago-Suárez & Burr, 2007; has straight, vertical bars on its body, longer than those of ''P. faciatum'' and ''P. punctifer'', that extend to or connect dorsally. The bars of the anterior region extend below the dusky dorsolateral area. Usually, no spots are seen below the lateral line, though some individuals may have two or three. It has a maximum recorded length of 49 cm (19 in) TL.<ref name=taxonomy/>

* ''Pseudoplatystoma punctifer'' (Castelnau, 1855)

* ''Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum'' (Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1889) (barred sorubim); named for its pattern; it has loop-like dark bars forming a reticulated pattern, never straight as in ''P. fasciatum'' and ''P. orinocoense''. Its dark, loop–like bars join those in the dorsal region of the body forming distinct cells. It also has longer loop–like dark bars, extending far below the lateral line. The head shows either spots or loops. The anal fin is always with spots. The lower jaw is pointed. It has a maximum recorded length of about 60 cm (24 in) TL.<ref name=taxonomy/>

* ''Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum'' (Valenciennes, 1840) (tiger sorubim); distinguished by the presence of loop–like bands connecting to, or extending to, the dorsal region and continuing onto other side of body; loop–like bars form cells. The adipose fin also has some loop-like bands and spots, but no discrete dark spots occur on the sides of the body. It reaches a maximum size of 130 cm (51 in) TL.<ref name=taxonomy/>

Juvenile ''Pseudoplatystoma'' fish are quite different in appearance from adults, distinct in patterning and coloration; the juvenile is dark on its back with an obvious boundary between the white of its sides and belly; also, the stripes of ''P. fasciatum'' and ''P. tigrinum'' have not developed, being present as spots. The adult color is brown-olive, with about 13 or 14 dark transverse bands reaching up to the belly, which is white with a few dark spots.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum (Linnaeus, 1766) |url=https://www.gbif.org/species/2338673 |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=www.gbif.org |language=en}}</ref>

==Distribution and habitat== The distribution of ''Pseudoplatystoma'' species includes the great river basins of South America: the Amazon, Orinoco, Paraná, São Francisco, Magdalena, Rupununi, Essequibo, and Suriname Rivers. They can also be found in the Cuiabá river, located in the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso.They have not been reported from river basins draining into the Pacific.<ref name=taxonomy/> ''P. fasciatum'' inhabits the Guyana region, including the Essequibo and Suriname Rivers and their tributaries, in Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. ''P. tigrinum'' is found in the Amazon River in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. ''P. corruscans'' originates from the Paraná and São Francisco Rivers in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. ''P. orinocoense'' is named for and endemic to the Orinoco River of Venezuela. ''P. metaense'' is distributed in the Orinoco River in Colombia and Venezuela; it is named for the Meta River, the type locality, a tributary of the Orinoco River. ''P. magdaleniatum'' is named for and endemic to the Magdalena River drainage, including the Cauca River of Colombia. ''P. reticulatum'' inhabits the central Amazon and Paraná Rivers in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.<ref name=taxonomy/>

''Pseudoplatystoma'' species live in a diverse range of habitats, such as great rivers, lakes, side channels, floating meadows, and flooded forests.<ref name=taxonomy/> ''P. fasciatum'' is found in river beds and sometimes in flooded forests. Though it is biologically similar to ''P. tigrinum'', this fish seems to favor shadier streams.<ref name=fasciatum/> ''P. tigrinum'' occurs in estuarine zones, mainly upstream of the first rapids up to the basin's headwaters. They live in the main bed of slow or fast zones, and the juveniles particularly live in flooded forests.<ref name=tigrinum/>

==Biology== These fish are nocturnal hunters, primarily piscivorous, feeding on fish such as electric knifefishes, cichlids, armored loricariid catfish, and characins such as ''sábalos'', and bogas.<ref name=corruscans/><ref name=fasciatum/> Being opportunistic feeders, they may also feed on crustaceans such as crabs or shrimp.<ref name=tigrinum/>

===Reproduction=== ''Pseudoplatystoma'' species are all migratory fish.<ref name=suarez/> ''P. orinocense'' and ''P. tigrinum'' make short migrations.<ref name=taxonomy/> At the end of the dry season, ''P. tigrinum'' can migrate at the same time as its prey, and then return at the end of the rainy season.<ref name=tigrinum/>

The migration of ''P. corruscans'' is heavily tied to flooding. The greatest reproductive activity, the highest rate of development of gonads, and the most energy spent in migration happens when rainfall occurs.<ref name=brito/>

==Relationship to humans== ''Pseudoplatystoma'' species are of considerable economic value; all are sold in fish markets throughout South America.<ref name=taxonomy/> They are important food fish for human consumption.<ref name=brito/> ''P. fasciatum'' has a succulent, yellowish flesh without "stray" bones.<ref name=fasciatum/> ''P. tigrinum'' is the most important catfish in gill-net fisheries of Guaporé and Marmoré Rivers.<ref name=tigrinum/> These fish are being overexploited in their range, and uncontrolled fishing possibly has led to the disappearance of ''Pseudoplatystoma'' species in some local tributaries of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Magdalena.<ref name=suarez/> In the Argentine province of Entre Ríos alone, about 27,000 tonnes of ''Pseudoplatystoma'' species are harvested every year, comprising 70 to 80% of the total capture there, mostly concentrated on the fishing area near the city of Victoria, opposite Rosario, Santa Fe.{{Citation needed|date=April 2007}}

The capture of ''P. corruscans'' has declined greatly due to changes in their environment. This fish has a high commercial value due to the excellent quality of its flesh, its high marketability, and its marked participation in commercial fishing. Spawning of this fish can be induced with hormones, with a high potential for commercial production.<ref name=brito/>

''P. fasciatum'' and ''P. tigrinum'' are often found in public aquaria.<ref name=fasciatum/><ref name=tigrinum/>

===In the aquarium=== Juvenile ''Pseudoplatystoma'' fish are marked as ornamental fish in both North and South America, but they are usually at a size too small for certain identification, but more than one species may be imported.<ref name=taxonomy/> These species appear in the aquarium hobby, where they are most often sold under the name "tiger shovelnose" or "tiger shovelnose catfish". These fish prove to be hardy, but their large adult size is problematic for both matters of housing and finding suitable tankmates that will not be consumed. With the appetite these fish have, finding enough good food may present some difficulty.<ref name=Axelrod>{{cite book | title = Exotic Tropical Fishes | last = Axelrod | first = Herbert R. | publisher = T.F.H. Publications. | year = 1996 | isbn = 0-87666-543-1}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

Category:Pimelodidae Category:Fish of South America Category:Fish of Argentina Category:Fish of Peru Category:Paraná River Category:Catfish genera Category:Taxa named by Pieter Bleeker Category:Freshwater fish genera