The Lima Shovel Nose Catfish is one of the more attractive Catfish available. Its nice coloration and relative hardiness make it a great fish to own. It is, however, extremely large, and will require a large tank to maintain.

Lima Shovel Nose Catfish are a peaceful carnivorous fish. They will not bother other fish that are of the same size, and they make for good community fish. However, being a carnivore, the Lima Shovel Nose Catfish will eat anything that moves that can fit into its mouth. This includes small fish, crustations, and other invertebrates. They are a nocturnal species. During the day, the Lima Shovel Nose Catfish likes to hide in reeds or other dense vegetation. Lima Shovel Nose Catfish should be kept in very large tanks, with patches of very dense vegetation and rocks for them to hide in. Floating plants are also recommended, since they block out light in a natural way. Since they normally reside in fast flowing streams and rivers, their aquarium should have some source of strong current, like a powerhead or a filter.

At maturity, the Lima Shovel Nose Catfish will reach a size of 18 to 24 inches. This large fish will have a clear, pasty colored underside, and a green to black upper body, with a black stripe intersecting the two horizontally. The way they are colored allows the Lima Shovel Nose Catfish to blend into the sky if viewed from below, and blend into the river floor if viewed from above. Their bodies are long and narrow, which allows them to be extremely quick and agile.

The Lima Shovel Nose Catfish, or Sorubim lima, can be found in, and are imported from, South American countries, such as Venezuela.

Owning Lima Shovel Nose Catfish will require a few conditions. Besides the large tank and source of current, they need well-filtered and well-oxygenated water. This means their water must be changed frequently. They will do well in a large range of pH levels, however, ranging from six and a half to seven and a half. They should be kept in water at a temperature between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They need to be fed small shrimp, earthworms, small fish, beef heart, or prawns. Food sticks will sometimes be accepted. One trait the Lima Shovel Nose Catfish will display is a periodic shed of body mucus that accumulates do to stress. This mucus will sometimes make their water cloudy.

There are no known cases of the Lima Shovel Nose Catfish breeding in captivity. Their reproductive patterns are unknown, and the two sexes are indistinguishable.