Ripsaw catfish
(Oxydoras niger)
General data
Scientific names:
Ripsaw catfish
Local names:
Cuiu cuiu
Habitat:
Freshwater
Climate:
Tropical
Native:
South America
Oxydoras niger, the ripsaw catfish or cuiu cuiu, is a species of thorny catfish native to the Amazon, Essequibo and São Francisco basins in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Venezuela.
This species grows to a length of 100 centimetres (39 in) SL and weights up to 13 kilograms (29 lb).
This species is a minor component of local commercial fisheries.
It has lateral thorns that can damage any potential predator or handler. It feeds by shifting through sand and detecting eatable parts with the taste receptors in the roof and floor of its mouth.
