
Also known as:
Tiger catfish
Tiger sorubim catfish
Sorubim
Surubim
Sorubim tigre
Pirambucu
Common Group Name:
Long whiskered catfishes
Family Name:
Pimelodidae
Genus Name:
Pseudoplatystoma
Species Name:
Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum
Dispatch Method:
When handling Tiger shovelnosed catfish beware of the sharp spines on the pectoral and dorsal fins. This species has a strong skull and can be tolerant of air exposure. To maximise their eating qualities they can be humanely killed by a firm knock to the head before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding. Iki jime can be attempted if the angler has access to a suitably robust iki jime spike.
Fish Description:
- A distinctive species, olive brown dorsally fading to white ventrally with a long, flat head and vertical to slightly oblique black stripes and spots which are thicker on the ventral side.
- There may be great variation in the stripe and spot patterns.
Fish Distribution:
- The Tiger shovelnosed catfish is endemic to the Amazon and Orinoco River Basins in South America.
Fish Size Common Length:
Common between 60 and 90 cm, maximum size around 130 cm and 17 kg.