Piraiba
(Brachyplatystoma filamentosum)
General data
Scientific names:
Piraiba
Local names:
Kumakuma
Habitat:
Freshwater
Climate:
Tropical
Native:
South America
Brachyplatystoma filamentosum, the piraiba or kumakuma, is a species of large catfish of the family Pimelodidae and genus Brachyplatystoma that is native to Amazon and Orinoco River basins and fluvials in Guianas and northeastern Brazil.
It grows to a length of 2.8 m. The largest Amazon Piraiba records 2 – 2.5 m weighing more than 150 kg.
Dorsum dark to light grey with small dark spots on caudal-fin or peduncle. Dorsal fin with pink shading. Caudal fin deeply-forked. Juveniles exhibit dark body spots or blotches.
It is entirely piscivorous preying on loricariids and other bottom-dwelling fish.
