Kissing Prochilodus

About

The Kissing Prochilodus (Semaprochilodus insignis) is one of the most ecologically significant fish in the Amazon basin, and one of the more unusual large characins available to hobbyists. In the wild it forms enormous seasonal shoals that migrate hundreds of kilometres twice a year. Moving between blackwater tributaries and turbid whitewater rivers to spawn, in a cycle that genuinely parallels the salmon migrations of the northern hemisphere. Along the way these fish process vast quantities of organic sediment, and they even possess two stomachs, one of which fills with mud to assist digestion. In Brazil it is widely known as the Jaraqui and is an important food fish. Juveniles carry dark spots on their flanks that gradually fade with age, which helps separate this species from the closely related S. taeniurus, where those markings persist throughout life. In the aquarium it works well as a single specimen alongside medium to large tankmates. Big characins, loricariids, doradids, peaceful cichlids, and similar robust fish all make reasonable companions. Kept in small groups it can become quarrelsome, but a half-dozen or more individuals in a suitably spacious setup tends to smooth that tension out. Breeding has not been documented in captivity, which is unsurprising given its complex migratory spawning requirements.