Brachyplatystoma filamentosum

Brachyplatystoma filamentosum
Captive individual
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Pimelodidae
Genus: Brachyplatystoma
Species:
B. filamentosum
Binomial name
Brachyplatystoma filamentosum
(Lichtenstein, 1819)
Synonyms
  • Brachyplatystoma goeldii
  • Pimelodus filamentosus
  • Piratinga piraaiba
  • Platystoma affine
  • Platystoma gigas
  • Sorubimichthys gigas

Brachyplatystoma filamentosum, commonly called piraíba, kumakuma, valentón or laulau, and goliath catfish is a species of catfish in the family Pimelodidae which is native to the Amazon and Orinoco River basins, rivers of the Guianas and North-eastern Brazil. It is an important predator in its ecosystem, and in turn is a food fish.