This species reaches
SL, though lengths of have been reported. It originates from the
Amazon and
Orinoco basins, which encompasses waterways in
Brazil,
Bolivia,
Colombia,
Peru, and
Venezuela. The vulture catfish is so named because it is an active
scavenger, seeking carcasses in its native waterways to consume in
shoals; its feeding action promotes the skeletonization of its food items - they are able to consume all the
muscles and
viscera from an
cadaver within half an hour - though it apparently avoids feeding on
cartilage elements,
eyeballs,
scalps, and limb extremities. Its voracious nature has led to it becoming an important species in
forensic pathology, especially concerning those victims whose corpses ended up in rivers;
C. macropterus is often found in association with the cadaver even after it is extracted from the water, often being found under the victim's clothing. This species is also stated to commonly attack fish caught in
fishermen's nets and
seines as well as those hooked on
trotlines or
gaffed. They also seem to congregate in areas where fishermen and
fishmongers dispose of fish
offal. == In the aquarium ==