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| NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species |
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Common Name: leopard catfish
Synonyms and Other Names: (perruno).
Taxonomy: available through 
Identification: This genus contains a single species. Keys were provided by Schultz (1944) and Taphorn and Lilyestrom (1984). As well as giving diagnostic characteristics in his original description, Schultz (1944) provided a representative illustration of the species. Distinguishing characteristics and color photographs of live fish were given by Burgess (1989). Adults are large and colorful, with a color pattern similar to that of another large pimelodid catfish, Leiarius marmoratus.
Size: To over 62 cm SL.
Native Range: Tropical America. Restricted to Maracaibo Basin of Venezuela, South America (Schultz 1944).
Nonindigenous Occurrences: A single specimen (about 1.4 kg, greater than 50 cm SL) was taken from Cedar Bayou near Galveston Bay, Texas, by an angler in March 1992 (R. G. Howells, personal communication).
Means of Introduction: Probable aquarium release.
Status: Reported from Texas.
Impact of Introduction: Unknown.
Remarks: The Texas record is supported by a photograph of rather poor quality (on file at the USGS Biological Resources Division center in Gainesville). The angler kept the specimen to make it into a trophy mount (Howells, personal communication). Some question still remains as to correct identity of the Texas specimen. According to J. G. Lundberg (personal communication), the dorsal ray count of 10, if correctly reported, makes the case good for Leiarius marmoratus even though the color of the fish in the photograph is not exactly correct (Leiarius and Perrunichthys can be distinguished easily by superficial skull characteristics). Although neither species is apparently common in the aquarium trade, Ferraris (1991) reported that both species have become more popular in recent years. Commercial airline flights from Maracaibo, Venezuela, to the Houston area have been common during the recent past and indicate that P. perruno could be easily brought into Texas along with other ornamental fishes.
Burgess, W. E. 1989. An atlas of freshwater and marine catfishes: a preliminary survey of the Siluriformes. Tropical Fish Hobbyist Publications, Inc., Neptune City, NJ.
Ferraris, C. J., Jr. 1991. Catfish in the aquarium. Tetra Press, Morris Plains, NJ.
Howells, R.G. - Heart of the Hills Reserach Station, TX Parks and Wildl. Dept., Ingram, TX. Response to NBS-G non-indigenous questionaire. 1992.
Lundberg, J.G. - Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.
Schultz, L. P. 1944. The catfishes of Venezuela, with descriptions of thirty-eight new forms. Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum 94(3172):173-338.
Taphorn, D. C., and C. G. Lilyestrom. 1984. Claves para los peces de agua dulce de Venezuela: 1. Las familias de Venezuela. 2. Los generos y las especies de la Cuenca del Lago de Maracaibo. Revista UNELLEZ de Ciencia y Tecnología (Guanare, Venezuela) 2(2):5-30.
Other Resources:
FishBase Fact Sheet
Author: Leo Nico
Revision Date: 12/5/2003 Citation for this information:
Leo Nico. 2009. Perrunichthys perruno. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.
<http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=837> Revision Date: 12/5/2003
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