Cetopsidae – Extreme Voracious Predatory Cat Species

[amiidae]

Cetopsidae = ( set TOP sid dee )

Commonly known as "Whale Catfishes" because of the origin of the first name Cetopis, meaning "looks like a whale"

There are about a dozen species in this family and they are not too popular in the hobby due to their inactivity in the aquarium. One member of this genus the "Candiru" is a voracious predator on other wounded fish in its habitat, burying into the flesh of the animal.
http://www.scotcat.com/cetopfamily.htm

Cetopsis coecutiens - “An open water catfish with no adipose fin or armour”
http://planetcatfish.com/catelog/spe...species_id=339


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetopsidae

Distribution
Cetopsids have a wide distribution. Latitudinally, cetopsines extend from northern Colombia to central Argentina. They inhabit major habitats such as the Orinoco River, Amazon River, and the Guyanas.

Description
In Cetopsinae, the swim bladder is highly reduced and is enclosed in a bony capsule. Cetopsines lack an adipose fin, are naked, lack bony plates on the body, have a proportionately long anal fin, and lack nasal barbels. Many species are characterized by small eyes that are obscured by a thick, overlying integument that make them appear blind. Also, their dorsal and pectoral fins usually lack spines except in Cetopsidium. In most species of cetopsines, mature males have a convex margin to their anal fin and elongated distal filaments of the dorsal and pectoral fin spines. The adipose fin may be present (though small) in Helogeneinae.

The maximum length of this family is about 26 centimetres (10 in) SL in Cetopsinae. Cetopsidium are generally smaller in body size than Cetopsis.

The maximum length in Helogenes species is 7 cm (3 in).

Ecology
Most cetopsids feed on insects. Cetopsis candiru and C. coecutiens are well known to have extremely voracious appetites. These fish will attack carrion, other living fish while in gillnets, and even people. It is erroneously believed by some people that these fish are parasitic like parasitic catfishes.

[amiidae]

A recent thread in AF
Catfishes featured in "The Amazon Abyss"
http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=294713

YouTube Video

Serrated type of teeth in this pix of Cetopsis coecutiens aka blue whale cat

[amiidae]

One of my old thread - Peruvian Blue Whale Catfish - (cetopsis coecutiens)
http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=198385


Well, Continuing my adventure with the Peruvian Blue Whale Catfish - (cetopsis coecutiens) .. I have decided to pick up a pair of Cetopsis cf. Montana




Pix of many species under Cetopsidae can be found here
http://silurus.acnatsci.org/ACSI/tax...ae/index1.html


Some old thread in AF

Blue Whale
http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/sh...highlight=blue

What cat is this? Blue colouration at the top....
http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/sh...highlight=blue

[amiidae]

This species behaves quite diff as compared to Cetopsis coecutiens

1) they are not on the move all the time

2) they are active when light off. but tend to move-stop-move-stop .. kind of like hopping around.

Day 1
They "test bite" some sinking pellets but spat it out

Day 2
one had started to take frozen shrimp

Few more pix

[alanng]

wow.. nice collection..

Originally Posted by amiidae

This species are quite diff as compared to Cetopsis coecutiens

1) they are not on the move all the time

2) they are active when light off. but tend to move-stop-move-stop .. kind of like hopping around.

Day 1
They "test bite" some sinking pellets but spat it out

Day 2
one had started to take frozen shrimp

Few more pix

hmmm if i didn't remember wrongly i did saw this fish at serangoon north sometime last year...initially i thought they were some kinda different species of wolf fish...are they scavengers or predators?

[alanng]

hmmm... their diet is mainly on meat? possible to train on pellets?

[amiidae]

Originally Posted by z3r0-1

hmmm if i didn't remember wrongly i did saw this fish at serangoon north sometime last year...initially i thought they were some kinda different species of wolf fish...are they scavengers or predators?

There are about a dozen species in this family and they are not too popular in the hobby due to their inactivity in the aquarium. One member of this genus the "Candiru" is a voracious predator on other wounded fish in its habitat, burying into the flesh of the animal.

Ecology
Most cetopsids feed on insects. Cetopsis candiru and C. coecutiens are well known to have extremely voracious appetites. These fish will attack carrion, other living fish while in gillnets, and even people. It is erroneously believed by some people that these fish are parasitic like parasitic catfishes.

Originally Posted by alanng

hmmm... their diet is mainly on meat? possible to train on pellets?

likely to be yes.

[ydolphin]

Nice cats .. have to say that their looks doesn't represent their true nature...

[amiidae]

Ya, they look more like a plastic light stick LOL !!!

honestly, if you observe closely, part of their flesh is actually transparent.