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Catfshes of the genus Parakysis Herre, 1940, are cryptically coloured and found in small forest streams of Sundaic Southeast Asia. They have a highly rugose skin with tubercles all over the body, branched mandibular barbels, a long, low adipose ridge, and a forked caudal fin. Description: Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 3; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9; Vertebrae: 30 - 31. Head length 26.5-27% SL; conical head; presence of median concavity on margin of lower lip; presence of laterosensory canal pore between inner and outer mandibular barbels, branched outer mandibular barbels, branches of inner mandibular barbels separated; deeply forked caudal fin with pointed lobes; 10 branched principal caudal fin rays; sparsely pigmented caudal fin; absence of light brown saddle from base of posteriormost dorsal fin ray to caudal peduncle. Aquarium Care: An aquarium having a gravel substrate and containing areas of pebbles, small rocks and a scattering of small grass like plants would make an ideal set up for these little hillstream catfishes. Fish such as Brachydanio rosaeus and Barbus rhombocellatus would make excellent tank companions for these small, but somewhat inconspicuous members of the Akysidae family. Diet: A diet of live foods such as: Daphnia, Cyclops, small bloodworms and white worms should be offered, as like most of the sub-family ‘Parakysinae’, Parakysis notialis tends not to feed upon commercially prepared dried foods; although they will accept small frozen bloodworms. Etymology: The genus name Parakysis: para-, near, i.e., similar to Akysis but lacking an adipose fin. The specific name notialis: From the Greek notos, meaning southern, in reference to the distribution of this species (southern Borneo).

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Akysidae

Asia: Known only from the Barito River drainage, southern Borneo.

2.0cm (¾ins)

19-23°C (65-73°F)

6.7-7.2.

Ng, H.H. and M. Kottelat, 2003. Parakysis notialis, a new species of akysid catfish from Borneo (Siluriformes: Akysidae). Ichthyol. Res. 50(1):48-51.