Tiger shovelnose catfish
(Phseudoplatystoma faciatium)
The Tiger Shovelnose catfish is a large predatory catfish.
An adult Tiger Shovelnose catfish will often reach a length of 40 inches (100 centimetres) in or more in the wild. When kept in aquariums, it will usually stay around 24 inches (60 centimetres). It can however grow much bigger, so you can never know for sure how large your Tiger Shovelnose catfish will become. The Tiger Shovelnose catfish grows fast and can reach a length of 1.3 feet (40 centimetres) during its first year. The amount of feeding will naturally affect the growth rate of the fish.
The name Tiger Shovelnose catfish is derived from the beautiful stripped pattern found on the body of the adult fish. This pattern will start showing when your Tiger Shovelnose catfish reach a size of approximately 6 inches (15 centimetres). These make for ultimate bottom feeders that hold a predator like state.
The native home of the Tiger Shovelnose catfish is the Amazon region and it can be found in the waters of the La Plata, Orinoco, Essequibo, Corintijns and Paraná River basins. Today, the Tiger Shovelnose catfish has been introduced by man to several other parts of the world and you can for instance find breeding populations of Tiger Shovelnose catfish in South Africa. Releasing your Tiger Shovelnose catfish into the wild is strongly advised against, unless you live in the Amazon. It is a skilled predator that can disrupt the native ecosystem.
Info and Pic by http://bottomfeederfish.com/tiger-shovelnose-catfish/