Name: Rita Sacerdotum
Species: R. Sacerdotum
Thai name: Pla Duk Rita
Biggest known fish: 64lb 4oz
Lake rod caught record: 64lb 4oz
Average weight: 35lbs
Diet: Fish, Pellet, Worms, Mollusks, Crustaceans, Insects.
To fish for our Rita Sacerdotum catfish; try fishing bread flake or worms alongside the water hyacinth beds with a method feeder, especially in the corner silty areas where they sift through the silt scavenging amongst decaying water plants. These gentle members of the catfish family will be pushed off food by other fish, so avoid free offerings in large quantities, and fish the bait hard on the bottom under or tripping bottom under a float. When feeding these fish can be spotted by the clouds of bubbles made when they are sifting through the soft muddy areas of the lakebed. When hooked they try to get under the water hyacinths, which are floating beds of weed used as a filter system, but just put your rod tip under the water and pressure them out into open water.
They will keep making repeated attempts to get back into the sanctuary of the weed beds. Once you have landed one of these fish, please take our guide’s advice they are docile for pictures and very hardy fish.
Species Info
The Rita Sacerdotum catfish is a very elusive indigenous Asian catfish species. Reports suggest it can grow to a length of two meters. They have been located in various parts of South East Asia including Myanmar and the Mekong basin in Thailand.
The catfish is a member of the Bagridae family of fishes, which live in large rivers, it will feed in the wild on small organisms and small fish. The Rita Sacerdotum catfish is a very rare fish to catch and definitely a prize for any angler lucky enough to have one on the end of their line. It is another of the scale less type of Thai catfish, with a thick body and head, which is mainly of a lighter grey colour throughout and is equipped with sensory barbels which it uses to seek out food and prey in its natural environment.
Rita Sacerdotum have a large tail and fins of a similar greyish colouration this Thai Catfish has the potential to grow to a large size in the correct environment.
