Photo credit: Felipe Alviz Costa (Bolivia) Description: Abdel Rahman El Gamal
Habitats and world distribution: the granulated catfish (Pterodoras granulosus) is found in Amazon and Paraná River basins and coastal drainage in Guyana and Suriname. The species is found in Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, and United States. Granulated catfish is commercially fished for human consumption as well as being displayed in public aquaria.
Feeding habits: Granulated catfish is primarily an opportunistic omnivore and will feed on a variety of food including terrestrial plants, palm fruits, benthic and terrestrial invertebrates, and other fishes and will feed also on abundant food resources which could exist in the environment. This wide spectrum of their feeding habits enhance the ability of the species to colonize water reservoirs.
Granulated catfish body has no scales, but the skin is thick and tough with lateral saw- like plates that are found along the length of the body.
Migration: This species is a migratory species, making yearly spawning migrations during the rainy season (December – March) from large rivers and reservoirs into shallow flooded areas.
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