Furry Diary

Not furry, but we like them anyway.

Pictus Catfish

Pimelodus pictus Steindachner, 1876

Also called Pictus cat, Spotted pim, Pim pictus, Angelicus catfish (trade name)

SpeciesShort profile

From South America: the Amazon and Orinoco basins.12

At a glance the quick version

Length11 to 12 cm13
Lifespan4 to 8 years1
Sizesmall

FishBase gives 11 cm total length; Seriously Fish gives around 12 cm.

Typical in captivity; FishBase notes one individual reached 18 years.

Very long, elegant barbels
Fast, agile swimmer
Lively in a group
23

Looks how to spot one

Smooth-skinned (scaleless) catfish

A sleek, silvery catfish with black spots and stripes, a forked tail and a downturned mouth. Its whisker-like barbels are extremely long and can reach back to the tail. The dorsal and pectoral fins carry sharp spines.2

ColoursSilverBlack spotsBlack stripes23

Personality what they are like

Peaceful toward fish too big to eat, but it is a natural predator of very small fish. Young fish shoal; adults become more territorial.32

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Highly active, especially at night, and needs plenty of open swimming room. A lone fish tends to hide by day, while a group of six or more is more outgoing.23

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Seriously Fish lists 22-25 C, pH 5.8-6.8 and 1-15 dGH; FishBase gives 22-25 C and pH 6.0-8.0. Use a long tank and a soft substrate. The spines can snag in nets, so move it with a container.312

Home where they are happiest

Minimum 120 x 45 x 45 cm (about 243 litres) to give it room to swim.31

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Omnivorous with a taste for meaty foods: bloodworm, earthworms and other frozen or live foods, plus sinking pellets and some vegetables.32

Company who they like around

Best in a group of six or more with robust, active tankmates such as rainbowfish, larger characins and sturdy catfish.3

The story where it all began

Austrian ichthyologist Franz Steindachner described the pictus in 1876. It is valued in the aquarium trade and also in local fisheries, and two forms with larger or finer spots are known.123

Fun facts for the dinner table

  1. 1

    Its barbels can stretch all the way back to its tail fin.2

  2. 2

    It is sometimes sold under the wrong name 'angelicus cat'.2

  3. 3

    Fish from Colombia tend to have fine spots, while Peruvian fish have larger body spots.3

  4. 4

    One pictus in captivity reached 18 years of age.1

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List
Least Concern (assessed 27 December 2020)1
Taxonomy
Family Pimelodidae; described by Franz Steindachner in 18761

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Pictus Catfish. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

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Where this comes from

Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

  1. FishBase: Pimelodus pictus summary fishbase.seused for distribution, length, water parameters, IUCN, lifespan, uses
  2. Wikipedia: Pimelodus pictus en.wikipedia.orgused for names, description, behaviour, diet, forms
  3. Seriously Fish: Pimelodus pictus seriouslyfish.comused for names, size, tank size, water parameters, diet, compatibility, colour forms

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.