Asterophysus batrachus
Species of fish / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Asterophysus batrachus, the gulper catfish or ogre catfish, is a species of catfish (order Siluriformes) of the family Auchenipteridae. It is native to the Rio Negro and Orinoco basins in Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela,[1][2] where mostly found in slow-moving waters with many submerged structures.[3] It is currently the only recognized species of the genus Asterophysus,[4] but a specimen that possibly represents an undescribed species has been collected in Marajó (about 1,200 km or 750 mi from the traditionally recognized range of A. batrachus).[5]
Asterophysus batrachus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Siluriformes |
Family: | Auchenipteridae |
Genus: | Asterophysus Kner, 1858 |
Species: | A. batrachus |
Binomial name | |
Asterophysus batrachus Kner, 1858 | |
The gulper catfish grows to a standard length of 25 cm (9.8 in),[1] and a total length of 28.5 cm (11.2 in).[6] It has a short, thick-set shape and is dark-colored with a whitish belly.[6] People in its native range typically will not eat it because they consider it very ugly,[7] but it is sometimes kept in aquariums.[8]