Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii

Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii, the gilded catfish or dourada^[a], is a species of catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to the Amazon and Orinoco River basins and major rivers of French Guiana.^[2][3][4]

Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Siluriformes
Family:	Pimelodidae
Genus:	Brachyplatystoma
Species:	B. rousseauxii
Binomial name
Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii (Castelnau, 1855)
Synonyms
Bagrus goliath Bagrus rousseauxii Brachyplatystoma paraense

Named in honor of Louis Rousseau (1811-1874), assistant naturalist, Muséum d’histoire naturelle in Paris.^[5]

Description

It grows to a length of 192 cm (76 in).^[2] Body is characterized by platinum head and gold body. Adults have short barbels. Caudal-fin in adults deeply-forked with narrow lobes.^[6]

Distribution

It is a much widespread species that is found in fluvial systems in the Guianas and northeastern Brazil and Amazon and Orinoco river drainage.^[3]

Ecology

It is a demersal fish commonly inhabits deeper, flowing channels. It is primarily piscivorous, with the adults taking a wide variety of fish: recorded prey include other catfish (Auchenipterus nuchalis, Cetopsis coecutiens, Hypoptopoma sp., Pinirampus pirinampu, Pimelodus sp., Platysilurus barbatus), characiformes (Curimata sp., Hydrolycus scomberoides, Mylossoma duriventris, Potamorhina spp., Prochilodus nigricans, Psectrogaster spp., Schizodon fasciatus, Tetragonopterus sp., Triportheus spp.) and anchovies. 42.8% of dourada surveyed had consumed plant matter, and 1.8% ate insects.^[6][7] Larvae drifting downriver consume invertebrates, such as planktonic crustaceans and aquatic insects.^[8]

Developing larvae are carried downriver by the flow,^[9] all the way to estuarine habitats.^[10][11] Juveniles and sub adults are migratory, traveling upriver back to its spawning grounds.^[3][11] It is considered to have the longest freshwater migration of any known fish species, with some fish travelling 5,500 kilometres (3,400 mi) from the mouth of the Amazon to its spawning grounds.^[12][10] Females mature at larger sizes than males, both at around 80 centimetres (31 in); in the Caqueta, they matured between their 3rd and 4th year, which is later than the fish in the Peruvian Amazon which mature around 2.5 years old. Longevity is estimated at 11-13 years old; a 143 centimetres (56 in) female was measured to be 12.9 years old.^[13]

Relation to humans

The dourada is an important species for fisheries, being considered one of two most important catfish species in that regard,^[10] and considered the most important in the western Amazon.^[13]

Notes

1. ("golden" in Portuguese, a common name for fish)