Sorubim lima Breeding Guide

Sorubim lima, the duckbill catfish, is a large rainy-season river spawner with little documented reproductive biology and is not bred at home.

Overview

Sorubim lima, the duckbill or shovelnose catfish, is a long, flat-snouted predator of the family Pimelodidae found across northern and central South America, including the Amazon, Orinoco, Parana, Parnaiba and Tocantins basins. Seriously Fish reports a maximum standard length around 40-50 cm, with the fish occupying turbid white-water rivers and quieter floodplain lakes.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

According to Seriously Fish, little has been established regarding the reproductive biology of Sorubim species, though they are known to spawn at the onset of the rainy season, as with many other Amazonian fishes. Wikipedia adds only generic biological data and provides no breeding details, underscoring how poorly the species' reproduction is documented.

Egg & Fry Care

No documented egg or fry-rearing data exists for home settings. Juveniles in the wild gather among grasses, reeds and submerged wood in floodplain habitats.