Gilded Catfish Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii

The Gilded Catfish, also called Dourada, is a large catfish with shimering platinum head and goldish body native to the Amazon and Orinoco tributaries of French Guiana. It is a nocturnal, predatory catfish and can grow to nearly 2 metres long. Unlike the other Brachyplatystoma genus large catfish, it has short barbels as an adult. It is heavily fished and classed as vulnerable.

Another large related catfish also has the common name Gilded Catfish and is also native to the Amazon/Orinoco; - also called the Zungara or Dourado, with two scientific names: Brachyplatystoma flavicans and Zungaro zungaro. To confuse further, B. rousseauxii above is also known as Zungaro dorado.