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Brachyplatystoma vaillantii

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brachyplatystoma vaillantii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Pimelodidae
Genus: Brachyplatystoma
Species:
B. vaillantii
Binomial name
Brachyplatystoma vaillantii
(Valenciennes, 1840)
Synonyms
  • Bagrus piramuta
  • Bagrus reticulatus
  • Brachyplatystoma parnahybae
  • Piramutana piramuta
  • Platystoma vaillantii

Brachyplatystoma vaillantii, the Laulao catfish, piramutaba or piramuta, is a species of catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to Amazon and Orinoco River basins and major rivers of the Guianas and northeastern Brazil.[1][2]

The fish is named in honor of François Levaillant (1753-1824) a French explorer, naturalist and zoological collector, who brought the type specimens to Europe.[3]

Description

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It grows to a length of 150 centimetres (59 in), though is more commonly 80 centimetres (31 in).[1] Dorsum dark to light grey or brown, no spots or stripes. Ventrum much paler to give striking counter shading.[4] It is the most basal species in the genus.,[5] and the type species.

Distribution

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It is a much widespread species that is found in rivers and estuaries of Amazon and Orinoco watersheds, Guianas and northeastern Brazil.[2]

Ecology

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It is found in both freshwater and brackish water systems. It is a demersal potamodromous fish commonly inhabits muddy waters and deeper, flowing channels. Developing young are carried downriver by the current,[6] ending up in estuaries.[7] Juveniles and sub adults are migratory.[2] It is entirely piscivorous preying on loricariids and other bottom-dwelling fish.[4][8]

Relation to humans

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B. vaillantii is extremely important for local fisheries, often being the most caught fish by weight in Brazil,[9] with a peak recorded catch of 29 thousand tons in the 1970s. Afterwards, the piramutaba stocks had shown signs of depletion, and subsequent recovery.[7][10]

References

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  1. ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Brachyplatystoma vaillantii". FishBase. June 2020 version.
  2. ^ a b c "Cat-eLog - Pimelodidae - Brachyplatystoma vaillantii". Planet Catfish. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  3. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (16 September 2024). "Family PIMELODIDAE Bonaparte 1835 (Long-whiskered Catfishes)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Brachyplatystoma vaillantii (VALENCIENNES, 1840) - Piramuta". Seriously Fish. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  5. ^ Lundberg, John G.; Akama, Alberto (2005). Buth, D. (ed.). "Brachyplatystoma capapretum: a New Species of Goliath Catfish from the Amazon Basin, with a Reclassification of Allied Catfishes (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae)". Copeia. 2005 (3): 492–516. doi:10.1643/CI-04-036R1. S2CID 85923139.
  6. ^ Rojas, María; Olivera, Robinson; Quispe, Roberto; Hernán, Ortega (July 2007). "Estudio preliminar de ictioplancton de la Amazonia peruana con énfasis en la familia Pimelodidae" [Preliminary study of the Peruvian Amazon ichthyoplankton with emphasis on the Pimelodidae family]. Revista Peruana de Biología (in Spanish). 13 (3). Peru Biol.: 263–266. doi:10.15381/rpb.v13i3.2354. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  7. ^ a b Jimenez, Erica Antunez; Filho, Mutsuo Asano; Frédou, Flávia Lucena (June 2013). "FISH BYCATCH OF THE LAULAO CATFISH Brachyplatystoma vaillantii (VALENCIENNES, 1840) TRAWL FISHERY IN THE AMAZON ESTUARY". Brazilian Journal of Oceanography. 61 (2): 129–140. doi:10.1590/S1679-87592013000200005. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  8. ^ Lopes, Taise Miranda; da Câmara, Luís Fernando; Dufech, A. P. S. (2017). CARACTERIZAÇÃO DA DIETA DA PIRAMUTABA Brachyplatystoma vaillantii (SILURIFORMES: PIMELODIDAE), NO RIO MADEIRA, RONDÔNIA, BRASIL [CHARACTERIZATION OF THE DIET OF THE PIRAMUTABA Brachyplatystoma vaillantii (SILURIFORMES: PIMELODIDAE), IN THE MADEIRA RIVER, RONDÔNIA, BRAZIL]. XXII BRAZILIAN MEETING OF ICTIOLOGY (in Brazilian Portuguese). Porto Seguro: Neotropical Consultoria Ambiental – via ResearchGate.
  9. ^ Araujo-Lima, C.A.R.M.; and M.L. Ruffino (2003). Migratory Fishes of the Brazilian Amazon. Pp. 233—302 in: Carolsfeld, J.; B. Harvey; C. Ross; and A. Baer (editors). Migratory Fishes of South America. ISBN 9781552501146
  10. ^ "Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profiles The Federative Republic of Brazil". fao.org. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 10 November 2024.