Vermiculated Sailfin Catfish (Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus) Care Guide
Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus is a large sailfin armoured catfish from the Madeira basin, widely invasive in tropical waters worldwide.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus, the vermiculated sailfin catfish, is a large suckermouth armoured catfish of the family Loricariidae. It is marked with a worm-like (vermiculated) reticulated pattern. Native to the Madeira River basin, it has become invasive in many tropical regions worldwide and needs a very large aquarium with driftwood and strong filtration.
Taxonomy
- Family: Loricariidae
- Genus: Pterygoplichthys
- Scientific name: Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus
Habitat
The species is native to the Madeira River basin in Bolivia and Brazil. According to FishBase, it is typically found in floodplain lakes, swamps and borrow pits in poorly-oxygenated water. Wikipedia records it as introduced in India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey and the United States, where it is associated with ecological damage.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 600 L
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 2-12 °dGH
- Lifespan: 8-12 years
Diet
The species is an omnivore that grazes on algae, detritus and plant material and also takes small benthic animals. In aquaria it accepts algae-based and vegetable foods, fed about once daily.
Compatibility
This is a peaceful bottom dweller, but its large adult size and heavy bioload limit suitable tankmates to robust species in a spacious system. Other territorial plecos are best avoided.
Conservation status
The IUCN Red List assesses Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus as Least Concern (assessed 25 November 2020). FishBase notes it as a facultative air-breather that can use its enlarged stomach as an accessory respiratory organ.
Breeding the Vermiculated Sailfin Pleco (Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus)
Overview
Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus, the vermiculated sailfin pleco, is a large suckermouth catfish in the family Loricariidae, named for its worm-like reticulated pattern. Members of the genus are facultative air breathers with a greatly expanded, highly vascularised stomach sac that helps them survive in poorly oxygenated water. The species is among the most successful established invaders of warm waters worldwide and is documented attaching to the skin of endangered Florida manatees to feed on their epibiota.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Reproduction in the genus involves males excavating burrows (tunnels) into mud or clay banks, where the eggs are laid and the male then guards them. The reproductive guild is described as guarders and nesters, with external fertilisation and spawning occurring across the year. These bank-nesting habits, combined with high fecundity, contribute to the genus's success as an invader.
Egg & Fry Care
The male guards the egg-filled burrow; in some fisheries eggs are collected from male-guarded burrows for the aquarium trade. Although Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps is bred commercially on fish farms in Florida and Malaysia, most species in the genus do not readily reproduce in standard aquaria because the burrow-spawning requirement is hard to replicate.
Common Challenges
The species' large adult size and dependence on deep bank burrows for spawning cannot be reproduced in a home tank, so hobby breeding is not realistic. Because the species is highly invasive, releasing or breeding it outside controlled facilities also carries serious ecological risk.