Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii aka dorado catfish, 4"

[thebiggerthebetter]

Another video shot a week later in short succession:

 

[Charney]

What an incredible catfish. What is the expected size in captivity?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

What an incredible catfish. What is the expected size in captivity?

Yes, they are unusual, like polished metal. I don't think we know the expected captive size. IIRC, only 1 or 2 keepers reported here theirs at 1' and no one reported even a 2-footer.

Enrico Richter photographed a larger one:

 

[Charney]

really such a beautiful fish. I have been toying with the idea of getting one and you sold me. Now actively pursing one. They seem trick to keep

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

really such a beautiful fish. I have been toying with the idea of getting one and you sold me. Now actively pursing one. They seem trick to keep

You are welcome

My experience has been horrendous, as you have read. But I am still pursuing it with the two I still have.


The trick is that an ideal grow out in my current view would be

[1] solo or with the tank mates that'd have 0.000% chance of offending the dourada catfish
[2] pond would be the best to preserve its snout and brain

Here is Herman's 11"-er: https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/dorado-catfish-pickup-today.689017/#post-7766284 I think out of all presently active MFK-ers, he has the biggest one. Pretty sad, right? For the whole community I mean (great for herman moorr ). For a fish that grows to 6'-7'.

 

[dazzapolypterusweeksii]

Biggest one i have seen on youtube....not my vid. I hope to try soon as i get the chance. I hope you succeed with your 2 TBTB

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Biggest one i have seen on youtube....not my vid. I hope to try soon as i get the chance. I hope you succeed with your 2 TBTB

Thanks, bro.

I don't think this is B. rosseauxii though. I see some remnant spots on its tail half, e.g., at 2:40 and 4:10 min. And in general it looks like a piraiba, not dourada.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Charney and I have been discussing the difference in baby dourada looks and what it could mean for their adult coloration. With his blessing, I will cite this exchange here as someone like herman moorr , Superlaz, and others may offer their take and knowledge.

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Bottom line there appear to be 2 or 3 dourada babies in the trade currently, which we don't know what they will look like when subadults and when adults:

-- standard highly glossy metallic
-- matte grey of various shade, from light to dark grey
-- something offered as "White dourada" that still has highly reflective sheen, metallic but may look whiter
-- something referred to as "Nanay river dourada" (which is a smaller tributary in Peru), not sure if this one is the standard one or the white dourada

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[thebiggerthebetter]

Hi
sorry to bug you but I am hoping you can help me with this dorado. I have someone trying to get me the fish
His exporter has nanay dorado which is might be a flavencs. the picture looks like the typical dorado to me but its only 3 inches so hard to tell
or he has the gilded catfish which is supposed to be the rousseauxii. supposively the guilded/rousseauxii turns morre metallic. the picture doesn't look exactly right but it is a dark picture so hard to tell. What are your thoughts on the two? I was just going to tell him to get me the guilded/rousseauxxi but figured I can check with you first. sorry very rushed message due to working

Michael

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Hi Michael,

This is beyond my concrete experience and knowledge. So I can only offer thoughts and suppositions. From looking at the online photos of large fish caught by recreational fishermen, it appears that there may be regional differences in coloration but what they exactly mean and if they are meaningful, I don't know (yet). Fish can change color when caught, everyone knows.

AFAIK, current taxonomy recognizes only one species of this fish, the rosseauxii. The only correct use for flavicans that I am aware of refers to Zungaro zungaro https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=429

See also http://www.fishbase.org/Nomenclature/ScientificNameSearchList.php?crit1_value=Brachyplatystoma

and

http://www.fishbase.se/Nomenclature...Name=Brachyplatystoma&SpeciesName=rousseauxii

Everything else that pops up plentifully in google search, I believe to be used in error. I can be corrected.

Having said that, I did find in the trade fish called "Dorado catfish Nanay river" or "White Dorado catfish". The river is a rather small Amazon tributary in Peru, IIRC. One of my surviving two dorados (or rather douradas) had been bought as just that but it is still ~5", while the other "normal" dorado is ~7". So far they look essentially the same. But it may or may not mean anything for adults.

I haven't a clue which one will turn more metallic or whether it would even come into effect.
amazonfishman caught big ones himself and posted great photos of them. Have you seen them? I've been trying to dig them up, since you started asking questions and showing interest, but couldn't find the thread so far. It was in an obscure thread / not too relevant place but it was recent, within the last 3-4 months.

Lastly, this question is very fair and relevant and we can all learn from trying to answer it. Would you mind if I copied and pasted our exchange into my thread? And we could also continue there, if you willed. Your call. No biggie.

Glad to hear from you and thank you, Michael.

Viktor