Firewood catfish

Firewood catfish
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Pimelodidae
Genus: Sorubimichthys
Bleeker, 1862
Species:
S. planiceps
Binomial name
Sorubimichthys planiceps
(Spix & Agassiz, 1829)
Firewood catfish range
Synonyms
  • Platystoma planiceps Spix & Agassiz, 1829
  • Platystoma spatula Spix & Agassiz, 1829
  • Pteroglanis manni Eigenmann & Pearson, 1924
  • Sorubim jandia Spix, 1829
  • Sorubimichthys ortoni Gill, 1870
  • Sorubimichthys spatula (Spix & Agassiz, 1829)

The firewood catfish (Sorubimichthys planiceps) is a species of South American pimelodid catfish, the sole member of the genus Sorubimichthys. Firewood catfish are one of the hundreds of freshwater fish in the Amazon Basin that play important ecological and economic roles. Known by locals along the Amazon Basin as peixe-lenha, the firewood catfish is so called because it is of little eating value and is often dried and used for firewood. Firewood catfish are imported to areas outside their native range as in-demand aquarium fish.