Lake Maracaibo is a brackish lagoon located in northwestern Venezuela, between the states of Zulia, Trujillo, and Mérida. Hydrologically, it is a semi-enclosed bay off the coast of the Gulf of Venezuela. The lagoon is commonly considered a lake, though due to its current geological characteristics, it should not be considered as such. With a surface area of 13,512 km2 (5,217 sq mi), it is the largest lake in South America and one of the oldest on Earth, having formed undisputably as a lake 36 million years ago in the Andes Mountains.
The Pimelodidae, commonly known as the long-whiskered catfishes, are a family of catfishes.
Platysilurus is a genus of long-whiskered catfishes native to South America.
Cheirocerus is a genus of long-whiskered catfishes native to South America.
Pimelodus is a genus of fish in the family Pimelodidae native to Central and South America.
Brachyplatystoma juruense, the zebra catfish, is a species of catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to Amazon and Orinoco River basin of Peri and Rio Juruá, northwestern Brazil.
Brachyplatystoma platynemum, The slobbering catfish, is a species of catfish of the family Pimelodidae that ranges from Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.
Brachyplatystoma tigrinum, the zebra shovelnose, or tigerstriped catfish, is a large species of catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to the Amazon basin in Brazil, Colombia and Peru. It is entirely piscivorous.
Brachyplatystoma vaillantii, the Laulao catfish or piramuta, is a species of catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to Amazon and Orinoco River basins and major rivers of the Guianas and northeastern Brazil.
Brachyplatystoma capapretum, the dark caped goliath catfish, also called Peru piraiba catfish or false piraiba, is a species of catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to watershed areas of Brazil and Peru.
Brachyplatystoma filamentosum, commonly called piraíba, kumakuma, or lau lau, is a species of large catfish of the family Pimelodidae and genus Brachyplatystoma that is native to Amazon and Orinoco River basins and rivers in Guianas and northeastern Brazil.
Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii, the gilded catfish or dourada, is a species of catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to Amazon and Orinoco River basins and major rivers of French Guiana.
Aguarunichthys torosus, the Bolt Catfish or Yellow-band Catfish, is a species of benthopelagic catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to Cenepa River basin in Amazon River drainage of Peru.
Cheirocerus eques, is a species of demersal catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to Amazon River basin of Brazil.
Cheirocerus goeldii, is a species of demersal catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to Purus River basin and Das Velhas River basin of Brazil and Peru.
Duopalatinus peruanus, is a species of demersal catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to Amazon and Orinoco river basins in Peru.
The Highwaterman catfish, is a species of pelagic potamodromous catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, northern Brazil and Gulf of Paria.
The Dolphin Catfish,, is a species of demersal potamodromous catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to Santarém and the Negro River basin of Brazil and Venezuela.
Iheringichthys syi, is a species of demersal catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to Upper Rio Paraná in Brazil.
Leiarius longibarbis, commonly as Marbled Pim, is a species of demersal catfish of the family Pimelodidae that is native to Guyana and Brazil.
