Banjo, Eeltailed banjo catfish
Aspredo aspredo
About
The banjo, or eeltailed banjo catfish, is the heavyweight of its family. At up to 38.3 cm it is the largest banjo catfish known, and most are close to 35 cm. It is a bottom fish of brown, silty water, and it lives on sandy and muddy ground in brackish coastal water and in coastal rivers. Look for it near river mouths, where the water is shallow and cloudy. It also pushes further upstream into fresh water than its relatives do. Its colour is plain, with none of the dark saddle marks other banjo catfishes carry, and the feelers at the corners of its mouth lie flat against the head.
Also known as: banjo catfish, banjo
- Length
- 35 cm · max 38.3 cm
Breeding
Breeding is thought to happen in the earlier part of the year. The female does the carrying. She holds the eggs firmly attached to the underside of her body and moves around with them. This looks like a way of getting oxygen to the eggs in the muddy water the fish lives in.
Did you know?
It is the only species in its genus, and the biggest of all the banjo catfishes at 38.3 cm.
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