Pimelodus albofasciatus or Pimelodus blochii?

[arinlovescatfish]

Hello!

I’ve had 2 of these catfish for a good while now (about 4-5 months) and despite hours of research I can’t for the life of me:

1. Figure out what species I own

2. Find any reliable information on their specific care needs.

This is important to me as I need to decide whether or not I should move them into a 125, as if they are Pimelodus blochii, they’d most definitely need a bigger setup (currently they’re in a 55 gallon).

Is there anyone here with long-term experience or solid information on these species, or who can help identify the species I have? I’m leaning towards Pimelodus albofasciatus, which would still require a upgrade (since I’ve heard they can get up to about a foot) but would probably do better in my 55 until then, I would really appreciate any info/advice or general input!

-Thank You!

 

[3Fishnight]

Looks like the bigger growing ones to me. I havent kept them personally tho so im not sure.

 

[arinlovescatfish]

Looks like the bigger growing ones to me. I havent kept them personally tho so im not sure.

P.blochii? They both grow to around the same size however P. blochii has a faster growth rate and a larger maximum size (about 18 inches compared to 13).

I appreciate the response, though hopefully someone with experience can answer my question as there’s so little information online about these guys! :,)

 

[3Fishnight]

P.blochii? They both grow to around the same size however P. blochii has a faster growth rate and a larger maximum size (about 18 inches compared to 13).

I appreciate the response, though hopefully someone with experience can answer my question as there’s so little information online about these guys! :,)

Idk they look pretty much exactly the same to me. Both species.

 

[chromedome52]

Both PlanetCatfish and Fishbase give a max length of P. blochii as 13.8 inches, about 35cm, but more often only reach about 20cm. P. albofasciatus maxes out just under 10 inches/25cm, and I suspect it usually stays smaller as well. Since these sources are far more dependable than most others, I tend to follow their reports.

These 2 species are extremely similar and require a much closer examination to distinguish one from the other. Add to that that both have multiple color patterns possible depending on collection location, and I think you'll just have to be patient. Even then, you may never know for certain. They have basically the same requirements,

 

[arinlovescatfish]

Both PlanetCatfish and Fishbase give a max length of P. blochii as 13.8 inches, about 35cm, but more often only reach about 20cm. P. albofasciatus maxes out just under 10 inches/25cm, and I suspect it usually stays smaller as well. Since these sources are far more dependable than most others, I tend to follow their reports.

These 2 species are extremely similar and require a much closer examination to distinguish one from the other. Add to that that both have multiple color patterns possible depending on collection location, and I think you'll just have to be patient. Even then, you may never know for certain. They have basically the same requirements,

Thank you!

It really is hard to tell one from the other, especially with them often being sold under the same label of 4-Lined Pictus. You also make a good point on morphs and variations, as I didn’t take that into account when it comes to differentiating the two species.

Hopefully they’ll turn out to be the slightly smaller P. albofasciatus, but either way I’ll definitely be upgrading their setup in the near future. )