Ripsaw Catfish

Friendly but sharp giant

The ripsaw catfish is a large, freshwater fish, which lives in rivers in the Amazon rainforest. Its sides are covered with protruding, sharp bone plates. Aquarium keepers have to watch their hands! The plates are as sharp as razor blades and a very good defence against potential predators. 

But the ripsaw catfish is a calm and peaceful fish that mostly moves during the night. It likes to hide under branches and roots on the bottom of the river. The ripsaw catfish is often fished in the Amazon region. 

The snail mother

The ripsaw catfish likes to eat snails and gastropods, which it finds in the sand on the bottom of the river. This food has led to the ripsaw catfish also being called the “mother of snails”. The teeth of the ripsaw catfish are not in the mouth, but a bit down the throat. There, seashells and mussel shells are easily crushed. 

Migrating up the river

Every autumn, a period called “piracema” starts in the areas around the Amazon. Piracema comes from a local language, and roughly translates to “fish exit”. Many different species of fish in the Amazon and surrounding rivers are included in piracema. The fish have been staying in the lower parts of the river basins, and when the water levels begin to drop, the fish start their migration up the rivers to breed. This migration can last several months, and the ripsaw catfish is one of the species that usually moves during piracema.