SCOTCAT.COM  

Johnny Jensen's Photographic Library (2) Steven Grant (2)

Description: Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 4-5; Vertebrae: 32 - 33. Akysis portellus is most similar to A. longifilis, which occurs sympatrically in the Sittang River drainage. It is distinguished from A. longifilis in having a shorter adipose-fin base, smaller mouth and a more rounded head shape when viewed dorsally. Aquarium Care: Akysis are easy to keep for any decent fishkeeper. You can keep in small tanks (30cm wide x 20cm high x 30cm deep) with a sand bottom, small pipes, and caves. They will either bury themselves in the sand or hide in caves and pipes. They are not usually active during the day but will spring to action and eat voraciously and crazily if food is put in the tank. Diet: They will eat bloodworm, chopped earthworms, whiteworm, daphnia, and sinking pellets (although they seem to prefer live or frozen food). Etymology: The genus name Akysis: A = without; kysis = bladder, in reference to the lack of a swimbladder. The specific name portellus: From the Latin portella, the diminitive form of porta, meaning door. The name is used as a noun and alludes to the relatively small mouth of this species.

None

None

Akysidae

Asia: Myanmar. Known from the type locality in the Sittang River drainage, southern Myanmar. Type locality: Shwe Kyin stream, a minor tributary of the Sittaung (aka Sittang) River system in Bago (formerly Pegu) Region, southern Myanmar.

3.5cm (1½ins)

18-22°C (63-71°F)

6.5-7.5.

Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2017. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 06/2017 ).
Ng, H.H., 2009. Akysis portellus sp. Nov., a new species of catfish (Teleostei: Akysidae) from the Sittang River drainage, Myanmar. Journal of Threatened Taxa 1(1):2-8.