HomeFreshwater aquarium fishCatfish & plecosBanjo Banjo (Aspredo aspredo) Scientific name: Aspredo aspredo Linnaeus, 1758 The Banjo (Aspredo aspredo) is a freshwater fish of the family Aspredinidae. Native range: Central and South America, lower portions of coastal rivers from Venezuela to northern Brazil. BiologyBenthic fish occurring on sandy-muddy bottoms of brackish waters and coastal rivers. Found on soft bottoms of shallow turbid water near river mouths. The species has a peculiar mode of egg incubation wherein the female banjo catfish carries the eggs firmly attached to the underside of the body. This seems to be an adaptation to facilitate the oxygenation of the eggs in muddy environments. Reproduction probably occurs during the earlier part of the year.Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameAspredo aspredoFamilyAspredinidae (Banjo catfishes)OrderSiluriformes (Catfish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length38.3Common length35.0EnvironmentFreshwater; brackish; demersalClimateTropicalDistributionCentral and South America: lower portions of coastal rivers from Venezuela to northern Brazil.Conservation status (IUCN)Not EvaluatedThreat to humansHarmlessUsesFisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial More catfish & plecosBloch's catfishPimelodus blochiiBronze corydorasCorydoras aeneusPareutropius buffeiSynodontis brichardiBlotched upsidedown catfishSynodontis nigriventrisBlue panaqueBaryancistrus begginiSee all catfish & plecos SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.Last updated 27 September 2026