Home / Fishes / Catfish / Banded banjo
No federal permit to keepBanded banjo
Platystacus cotylephorus
Fishes › Catfish (Siluriformes) › Aspredinidae (Banjo catfish)
Platystacus is a genus of banjo catfish in the family Aspredinidae.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 5.9 in / 15 cm; the largest recorded was 12.5 in).
- Water: Freshwater (tolerates brackish).
- Temperature: 72–77°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 6.8–8.2.
- Hardness: 12–35 dGH.
- Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 47 × 12 in (roughly 29 US gallons); space needed is rated “large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 72–77 °F, pH 6–8.2, 12–30 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament predatory.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Requires plenty of hiding places and dim lighting.”
- Diet: “Unfussy but not easily fed due to its sedentary lifestyle.”
- Tankmates: “It will eat small fish, but is peaceful with anything too large to be considered food.”
- Breeding: “Not yet fully achieved in aquaria, although the occasional egg-carrying female has been imported, and fry subsequently raised.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Banjo catfish
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: South American bottom dwellers occupy leaf-littered forest waters, with some larger whiptail forms entering coastal brackish water. [fg201-sf-banjo, fg201-wwm-banjo]. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- For Bunocephalus coracoideus, use at least a 24 × 15 × 12 in aquarium; this is not a minimum for larger whiptail species.
- Provide approximately 2 in of sand for burial, wood or rock crevices, and dim lighting.
- Scatter dried oak or beech leaves over the bottom as camouflage and cover.
- For B. coracoideus, maintain pH 5.8–7.8 and hardness 2–20 dGH.
- Remove accumulated bottom waste during water changes; larger coastal forms need water conditions chosen for their identity and origin.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 68–80.6°F |
Diet
- Live or frozen bloodworms, delivered after lights out.
- Earthworms placed where the fish can find them.
- Sinking dried foods; verify that these sedentary fish actually receive their share.
Social life
- B. coracoideus can live singly or with conspecifics and peaceful fish; for other banjos, avoid companions small enough to fit their broad mouths.
Health watch
- Underfeeding when faster tankmates intercept food.
- Freshwater ich affecting skin or gills; a general freshwater-fish risk rather than a demonstrated family-specific predisposition.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Platystacus cotylephorus, commonly known as the banded banjo. The genus Platystacus is the sister group to a clade containing Aspredo and Aspredinichthys.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Platystacus” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater and brackish water. Stays near the bottom. Occurs mainly in brackish water. Found on soft bottoms of shallow turbid water near river mouths. Reported to migrate from estuary into freshwater, but actual spawning apparently takes place in brackish water. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater / brackish water, 72–77 °F (22–25 °C), pH 6.8–8.2, hardness 12–35 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: external brooders. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 72–77 °F.
- It tolerates or needs brackish water; check salinity needs before setup.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 89°F (up to 91°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 71°F (down to 69°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 78–80°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 82–85% on average (driest month about 79%) |
| Rainfall | about 2660 mm a year |
Measured at 39 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Platystacus is a genus of banjo catfish in the family Aspredinidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Platystacus cotylephorus, commonly known as the banded banjo. The genus Platystacus is the sister group to a clade containing Aspredo and Aspredinichthys. P. cotylephorus originates from coastal waters and lower portions of rivers of northern South America, from Venezuela to northern Brazil. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Reproduction | Females carry their eggs and young attached to the ventral surface of the body. — FishBase |
| Biology | Occurs mainly in brackish water. Found on soft bottoms of shallow turbid water near river mouths. Reported to migrate from estuary into freshwater, but actual spawning apparently takes place in brackish water. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Common length to maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Water hardness
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 47 × 12 in (about 29 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish: Bunocephalus coracoideus Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Bob Fenner, WetWebMedia: The Banjo Catfishes, Family Aspredinidae Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- MSD Veterinary Manual: Parasitic Diseases of Fish Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
