Dark armored fish with bony plates, short whiskers, and broad fins.

Barbed catfish

Pseudorinelepis genibarbis
Where at Shedd?
Amazon Rising
Diet Crustaceans, insects, plant matter
Size Up to 14.1 inches (36 cm)
Type Fishes
Range Bpper Amazon River basin, Brazil
Habitat Small, slow streams, floodplain lakes, large rivers

About the Barbed catfish

Often found in slow moving rivers and streams, the barbed catfish is commonly called the pineapple pleco due to their bony armor plates that point outward like a pineapple skin.

Did you know?

  1. All the world’s catfishes are divided into over 30 different families. Armored catfish are the largest family.
  2. This fish species has been known to occasionally take a breath of air.