ollowing on from my previous article published in the September
2005 edition of Practical Fishkeeping magazine which covered
South American species of catfish, I thought that I would
pen the following piece on Asian “Tank Busting”
species. As with the first article I am merely highlighting
the fact that there are many species of catfish which can
easily outgrow the largest of aquaria, causing stress to
both the fish and owner. As mentioned before I wish I knew
the answer as to how to overcome this ever increasing problem
being encountered by the hobbyist, the suppliers and retailers.
The catfish that you are about to read about are by no means
a comprehensive species listing just a few representatives
of perhaps some of the catfish encountered from time to
time.
Bagarius
bagarius Hamilton, 1822
 |
Bagarius bagarius is commonly known as the Devil
Catfish, which is also referred to as Bagarius yarellii.
This catfish is quite a rare find amongst shipments of
fish from Asia. Bagarius bagarius belongs to
the family Sisoridae which are more commonly referred
to as Asian Hillstream Catfishes. Within this group of
catfish there are around 23 genera and 85 species. As
their family name suggests they are naturally found in
the fast flowing freshwaters of southern Asia. Most of
the catfish within the family Sisoridae are small to medium
in size from 6-30cm, with the exception of Bagarius
with representative species growing in excess of 2 metres!
Bagarius are described as predatory fish quite
unlike the other members of the family Sisoridae which
tend to be omnivorous. In its natural habitat Bagarius
will live under bogwood or logs in fast flowing rivers
in wait of its next victim. All of the Hillstream Catfishes
are able to inhabit mountain streams by virtue of the
fact that the skin on the undersides of their bodies is
adapted by being corrugated thus acting as an adhesive
attachment to rocks and stones. In addition to the skin
being corrugated or folded another factor making these
fish better able to withstand the strong water currents
they have flattened heads. It is generally documented
that most of the representative species of sisorids have
a ventrally positioned mouth, allowing them to rasp algae
from the substrate (which is not the case with Bagarius
bagarius).
I recently had the pleasure of looking after one of these
magnificent catfish. I am quite a fan of large catfish
as I am sure that those of you who know me appreciate,
the problem being the eventual size that this fish can
attain…I really could not accommodate a fish that
might eventually grow to 200cm (or around 79” in
old money). That said I am pleased that I have been able
to observe this fish. This fish has evil written all over
its face, it watched every move that I made whilst in
the fish house and no matter where I was I could sense
this fish watching me. It is a fish that does not like
to be watched whilst it feeds, so you have to try to be
out of eye-shot in order to see it feed. Very much a predator
in its natural environment, it will however, take dead
foods in captivity. This fish ate almost anything on offer
including cockles, whole prawns, mussels, dead fish and
large earthworms. It is for this reason that this catfish
leads a solitary life, as I would not risk housing any
other fish with it.
When keeping the Devil Catfish it is essential to provide
the fish with oxygen-rich water due to the fact that these
fish are from highland streams. I personally found it
essential to provide good filtration and water movement
in order to keep this fish in optimum condition. Regular
25% water changes are also appreciated by this catfish,
and I always carry these changes out weekly and certainly
no longer than fortnightly. Other water parameters such
as pH and hardness are not as important as good water
circulation and aeration, but nevertheless are still of
importance. I found that this catfish will tolerate lower
water temperatures than most other species of catfish
due to the fact that its natural environment is cooler.
I kept the Bagarius at around 22ºC. I have
to admit that this is a magnificent catfish to observe,
but be warned that they will eat anything small enough
to fit inside the enormous mouth that they possess. Finally
perhaps it is just as well that these fish are rare amongst
catfish imports, as in the wrong hands it could do untold
damage to other fish and rapidly outgrow small accommodation.
Scientific name: Bagarius
bagarius
Common name: Devil Catfish
Family: Sisoridae
Synonyms: Pimelodus bagarius, Bagarius
yarellii, Bagarius lica, Bagarius buchanani
Natural habitat: India, Burma, Thailand,
Vietnam, Sumatra, Borneo
Aquarium size: For a juvenile catfish
a minimum size of aquarium would be 36” x 18”
x 18”, for a semi-mature specimen of up to 36”
I would suggest at least a 72” x 36” x 36”
and for an adult sized fish a large public aquarium!
Temperature: 18-25ºC or 64-77ºF
pH: 6.5-7.8 although it is documented
that pH 7.0 is optimum.
Hardness: It is documented that juvenile
specimens prefer hardness up to 12ºdGH, but that
adult fish can tolerate a hardness of up to 30ºdGH.
Sexual differences: There are no documented
or observed external sexual differences.
Breeding: There are no known records
of this catfish having been bred in captivity, most likely
due to their adult size and size of aquarium/tropical
pond required for them.
Diet: As its common name suggests this
truly is a demon amongst the fish world, requiring meaty
foods at all times. In the wild this fish would predate
upon smaller fishes, but in an aquarium it can be persuaded
to feed upon cockles, mussels, whole prawns, dead fish
and earthworms. It is also documented that this catfish
when kept with fish bigger than itself it would eat their
scales.
Compatibility: This really is a fish
destined to live a solitary life due to the fact that
I am convinced that it would eat just about any other
occupant that it could fit inside its mouth.
Colouration: This catfish is quite attractively
marked. The base colour of the body of this fish is light
brown with dark brown to black mottled markings over the
eyes, around the dorsal and adipose fins and at the base
of the caudal peduncle. The fins share this mottled pattern
of markings.
Hemibagrus
wyckioides Fang & Chaux, 1949
 |
Asian Red Tailed Catfish
When choosing this catfish I thought that I would be writing
about a fairly straightforward catfish! How wrong could
I be firstly the little beast that I was keeping in the
fish house has changed its name from Hemibagrus nemurus
to Hemibagrus wyckioides, and reading a little
more about this fascinating catfish I find that it can
attain lengths up to 950mm or 38”! So how did I
end up with this catfish I here you ask? I was shown a
listing of fish that were available from a wholesaler
and knowing that a good friend of mine Daphne Layley had
previously asked me to look out for a Hemibagrus wyckii,
I duly ordered two specimens to be collected the following
week. I arrived at the shop to collect the fish as planned
to find from quite a distance (I was at least ten feet
away from the tank that the bag was floating in) that
there were not two H. wyckii as expected but
two of what I thought were H. nemurus (now H.
wyckioides)! I must admit to being more than a little
disappointed at the time, but took the fish anyway.
The following week the wholesaler was visited by my friend
who informed him of the mix up. The wholesaler said “But
you don’t know anything about catfish, and I thought
that nobody would notice”, to which my friend replied
“I know, but my customer does”! Apparently
the wholesaler was a tad embarrassed and has promised
to replace the fish for me at some stage (after two years
I am still waiting!). I subsequently re-homed one of these
catfish to some very good friends on the Isle of Wight,
whilst in the remaining catfish has been relocated to
one of Daphne’s tanks in her fish room.
I have to say that this is a catfish
full of character, but one that is also purely evil. It
looks at you as if butter would not melt in its mouth,
but turn your back and it is probably the most mischievous
fish that I have had the pleasure to keep recently. This
catfish is constantly rearranging the décor in
the tank, one day the aquarium sand (BD Aquarium Sand)
is piled up against one end of the tank the next you cannot
see through the front glass! This catfish will eat literally
anything that I care to feed it ranging from earthworms,
cockles, prawns, mussels etc to catfish pellets and floating
food sticks. In some respects I will be sad to see the
fish go but I know that it will have much larger accommodation
than I can provide for it at present. As most of you reading
this will realise this catfish is not one to be taken
lightly, and is not one for the novice fish keeper.
Anyway I digress, back to the confusion over the naming
of this catfish. Those of you who surf the web will no
doubt have come across many sites listing or referring
to our favourite subjects “Catfish”, this
is where some of the confusion certainly on my part sets
in. My first encounters with this catfish (too many years
ago to remember now), were when I saw the odd specimen
in a retailers tank labelled up as Mystus nemurus,
how things have changed. At one time these catfish were
compared to the Red tailed catfish – Phractocephalus
hemioliopterus “The Emperor of the Amazon”
as being the poor man’s cousin. At the time it was
thought that H. wyckioides only grew to around
300mm or 12” how naive we were. As the years have
passed by this catfish has seen some name changes from
Mystus nemurus to Hemibagrus nemurus
(or so we thought), to what we now know as Hemibagrus
wyckioides; hence the confusion! To further add to
this confusion Hemibagrus nemurus is a valid
species but differs from Hemibagrus wyckioides
in that it does not posses the red coloured tail and has
a more flattened head, shorter adipose fin and filamentous
extensions to the dorsal and caudal fin rays.
In its natural habitat H. wyckioides is found
at irregular depths usually over rocky substrates in large
upland rivers. It is documented that this catfish reproduces
in its local environment and enters the flooded forest
during the high water season which is usually between
July and October. This catfish is a predator feeding upon
a diet that includes prawns, insects, fish and crabs in
its natural habitat. This catfish has the reputation of
being one of the most (if not the most) aggressive freshwater
fish in the world. This catfish has the ability to bite,
hence the reason why in captivity this catfish is ultimately
destined to a life in solitary confinement, for if it
is kept with other fish the most likely outcome is that
they will eventually form part of its diet. As with all
large species of catfish (or any other fish for that matter)
good water quality and general aquarium husbandry are
paramount to the successful keeping of this fish. Water
changes should be performed at least weekly to maintain
good water quality. This catfish prefers good water movement
which can usually be provided by using adequately sized
external and or internal power filtration. Finally this
catfish is described as being the largest bagrid in Asia
reaching weights of up to 80kg!
Family: Bagridae
Subfamily: Bagrinae
Description: The base body colour of this catfish is light
grey/brown with a greenish tinge. The lower half and underside
of the body is whitish in colour. The caudal fin in adult
specimens is whole or partially coloured bright red. Juvenile
specimens have a whitish coloured caudal fin. The dorsal
fin has 1 spine with 7-8 soft rays. The anal fin has 12-14
soft rays. The adipose fin is described as being long
with a gently sloping anterior margin. The maxillary barbels
usually reach to the middle of the base of the adipose
fin, although the barbels sometimes extend beyond this
point. The head is described as being flat as opposed
to being conical with a short occipital process not close
to the basal bone of the dorsal fin.
Common Name(s): Asian Red Tailed Catfish,
Common Baung, Pla Kayeng Thong, Trey khya, Asian redtail
catfish.
Synonyms: Macrones wickioides, Macrones
wyckioides, Mystus wyckioides, Mystus wyckoides.
Natural habitat: Asia: Mekong, Chao Phraya
and Xe Bangfai basins; Cambodia, Thailand river systems,
Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and Java.
Size: 950mm or 38” SL (although
1300mm TL is suggested)
Temperature: 19-29ºC
pH: 6.0-8.2 (although pH 6-7.6 seems
to be preferable)
Breeding: There are no known reported
aquarium spawnings of this catfish, most likely due to
the eventual size that these fish attain and their aggressive
nature! The males are said to possess a genital papilla
just in front of the anal fin.
Feeding: Whilst this catfish is best
described as a predator/carnivore in its natural habitat
feeding on fish, insects, crabs and prawns; in captivity
this catfish will feed on mussels, prawns, pieces of fish,
earthworms and will even take prepared foods such as catfish
pellets.
Ompok bimaculatus Bloch, 1794
Ompok bimaculatus - Two-spot
Glass Catfish, Glass Catfish or Butter Catfish.
This particular species can be found widespread throughout
Asia in the rivers of Afghanistan to China, Thailand and
Borneo. This particular catfish has endangered status
in the Western Ghats in India. This particular species
of catfish is documented as being found in both freshwater
and brackish environments. Ompok bimaculatus
naturally occurs in streams and rivers which range in
size and flow with currents that can best be described
as sluggish to moderate. The rivers are usually quite
shallow ranging from 0.5 to 1.5m in depth, and are often
muddy and murky. These catfish are also found in canals
and inundated fields into which these catfish move during
the flood season. They can attain a length of 450mm or
18” standard length. The ideal water parameters
for these catfish are pH in the range of 6-8, hardness
in the range of 4-28°dGH and temperature in the range
of 20-26°C. This is one of the larger species of catfish,
and due to the size that it can attain I would not recommend
that you keep this catfish in with small fish as they
are most likely going to form part of its diet. Also this
particular species requires a larger size aquarium and
I would suggest a minimum of 72” x 24” x 24”
for this species. You are most unlikely to see this catfish
amongst importations due to the fact that it is a food
fish in the countries in which it naturally occurs. Where
offered for sale as a food fish you might encounter Ompok
bimaculatus being sold fresh or smoked on skewers!
Scientific name: Ompok bimaculatus
Common names: Two-spot Glass Catfish,
Glass Catfish or Butter Catfish
Family: Siluridae or Sheathfishes
Size: 450mm SL (standard length is the
measurement from the tip of the snout to the base of the
caudal peduncle).
Synonyms: Silurus bimaculatus, Callichrous
bimaculatus, Pseudosilurus bimaculatus, Ompok bimaculatus,
Phalacronotus siluroides, Ompok siluroides, Ompok canio,
Silurus canio, Schilbe pabo, Silurus chechra, Silurus
duda, Callichrus affinis, Callichrus immaculatus, Callichrus
nebulosus, Wallago microcephalus, Silurus mysoricus, Silurus
indicus, Callichrous gangeticus, Callichrous macrophthalmus,
Callichrous sindensis, Wallago miostoma, Ompok sindensis.
Natural habitat: Widespread throughout
Asia in the rivers of Afghanistan to China, Thailand and
Borneo.
Aquarium size: 72” x 24”
x 24”
Temperature: 20-26°C
pH: 6.0-8.0
Hardness: 4-28°dGH
Sexual differences: The males tend to
be more slender than the females and are described as
having serrations on the posterior edge of the pectoral
fin spines, whilst the female’s pectoral fins lack
these serrations.
Breeding: There are no known documented
spawnings of this catfish in aquaria, which is most likely
due to the fact that this catfish is rarely imported and
also due to the size of aquarium required. Whilst there
are no documented aquarium spawnings it is documented
that these catfish are bred in India using hormone injections.
Diet: The natural diet of this catfish
includes vegetable matter, fish, crustaceans and molluscs.
In captivity these catfish readily accept catfish pellets,
prawns and frozen foods.
Compatibility: Ompok bimaculatus
is described as being peaceful but, has quite a large
mouth, and it is for this reason that I would suggest
that you keep this catfish as part of a shoal of its own
kind or with other large species of fish.
Colouration: The base colour of the body
is brown, which is usually marmorated or blotchy with
a conspicuous round black blotch above and behind the
pectoral fin base. The second of the two spots is at the
base of the caudal peduncle hence the name Ompok bimaculatus!
Body: The body is elongated? The dorsal
fin is described as being small and has a total of 4 soft
rays, whilst the anal fin which is described as being
long has a total of 54-74 soft rays. The pelvic fins are
described as being small with 7-8 soft rays. The pectoral
fins have 12-14 soft rays. The caudal fin is forked. Ompok
bimaculatus has two pairs of barbels; one pair of
maxillary barbels which reach the reaching anal fin; and
one pair of mandibular barbels which are described as
being small in length. The eyes are small and are covered
by skin. Ompok bimaculatus is described as having
vomerine teeth in 2 patches.
Pangasius hypophthalmus
Steindachner, 1878 (Sauvage, 1878)
Pangasius hypophthalmus is a catfish which should
never be imported due to the eventual size that it can
attain, and the fact that it is a very nervous and skittish
fish, which does not fare well in the confines of cramped
aquaria. All too often this catfish is offered for sale
as a juvenile fish at around 75-100mm and is quite often
labelled as Pangasius sutchi or Iridescent Shark.
A couple of years ago whilst on a day out with Kate looking
at some aquatic retailers we were horrified to find that
this catfish was being offered as the fish of the week
on a buy one get one free basis. Needless to say we shall
not be venturing back to that retailer. If only these
catfish remained small and manageable, but alas they do
not.
These catfish are bred commercially
in large ponds for the aquarium trade, which begs the
question why? Obviously there is a demand or else this
trade would not exist, how we control the importation
of these fish is another story! Who in their right mind
would want to keep a catfish that is capable of weighing
in excess of 44kg? There is also an albino form of this
catfish which is also offered for sale. It is documented
that this is a migratory species of catfish moving upstream
to spawn in May-July. This fish has been introduced to
other countries other than those documented below which
include Bangladesh, Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan.
Scientific name: Pangasius hypophthalmus
Common names: Iridescent Shark, Sutchi
catfish or Pla Sawai
Family: Pangasiidae
Size: 1300mm or 52” SL (standard
length is the measurement from the tip of the snout to
the base of the caudal peduncle).
Synonyms: Pangasius pangasius, Helicophagus
hypophthalmus, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, Pangasius
pleurotaenia, Pangasius sutchi
Natural habitat: Southeast Asia namely
the Mekong, Chao Phyra and perhaps Mekong basins; Thailand,
Laos, Cambodia and Viet Nam. It is documented that this
catfish has been introduced into additional river basins
for the purposes of aquaculture.
Aquarium size: As large as possible but
as an absolute minimum for a 450mm specimen I would suggest
a 72” x 24” x 24” aquarium, even though
I do not advocate the keeping of these catfish.
Temperature: The ideal temperature range
is 22-26°C
pH: The ideal range is 6.5-7.5
Hardness: This catfish is tolerant of
a wide range of hardness from 2-29°dGH
Sexual differences: It is documented
that the males have darker stripes and are more slender
than the females.
Breeding: There are no known records
of aquarium spawnings of this catfish, which is most likely
due to the adult size of these fish and the enormous size
of aquarium required. To be honest it is quite a relief
that these fish have not been bred in aquarium conditions.
Diet: This catfish is best described
as being an omnivore feeding on a mixed and varied diet
that includes catfish pellets, catfish tablets, frozen
bloodworm, floating food sticks and vegetable matter to
name but a few.
Compatibility: Whilst this catfish is
fairly peaceful avoid keeping it with small fish as they
will eventually appear on the menu. It is best to keep
this catfish with other large fish avoiding those species
that are too boisterous.
Colouration: The fins of this catfish
are dark grey or black in colour. Juvenile specimens are
described as having a black stripe along the lateral line
with a second long black stripe below the lateral line.
Adult fish are described as being uniformly grey in colour.
These catfish have a dark stripe on the middle of the
anal fin and a dark stripe in each of the caudal lobes.
Body: The body is best described as being
elongated. The position of the mouth is described as being
terminal. There are 6 branched dorsal fin rays and the
pelvic fins have 8-9 soft rays. The gill rakers are described
as being normally developed, with small gill rakers being
interspersed with larger ones.
Hemibagrus wyckii Bleeker,
1858
Another Asian species, this fascinating catfish has pure
evil written throughout its body. Hemibagrus wyckii
belongs to the family Bagridae and is naturally found
in the freshwater rivers of Thailand, Sumatra and Java.
This particular species is capable of attaining a length
of 710mm SL (standard length), and is therefore best suited
to the confines of large aquaria or dare I say it public
aquaria. Hemibagrus wyckii shares a similar name
with Hemibagrus wyckioides (see information on
Hemibagrus wyckioides) which sometimes causes
confusion even though the two fish are distinctly dissimilar.
This catfish is documented as inhabiting creeks, lakes
and rivers in its natural habitat, and is said to be found
or restricted to the middle reaches of these environments.
In the wild this catfish feeds on insects, prawns and
other fish. In its native countries Hemibagrus wyckii
can be found offered for sale in the local fish market
as food for the local population.
When providing hiding places they should be firmly positioned
within the aquarium and preferably sealed in place with
aquarium sealant. Heater guards should also be used in
order to protect both the fish and the heater itself from
damage. This catfish is very much a predator if ever there
was one, and is capable of crushing its prey to almost
paper thin proportions with its powerful jaws. I have
heard of one crushing the head of a dead Synodontis
before swallowing the fish whole! Cover glasses should
be firmly in place as this catfish is very powerful swimming
from one end of its accommodation to the other at lightning
speeds.
Scientific name: Hemibagrus wyckii
Common names: Crystal-eyed Catfish, Baung
Jaksa and Plakotkao
Family: Bagridae
Subfamily: Bagrinae
Size: 710mm SL
Synonyms: Mystus wicki, Hemibagrus
wycki, Bagrus wyckii, Macrones wyckii, Mystus wyckii,
Mystus wycki
Natural habitat: Hemibagrus wyckii
is documented as being found in Asia namely the freshwater
rivers of Thailand, Mekong, Menam, Chap Phya, Lopburi,
Kanburi, Meping and Mechan rivers; Sumatra, Java, Cambodia,
Beng Cha Prek-tuk-Kampot; Viet Nam, Indonesia and Laos
Aquarium size: Due to the eventual size
that this catfish can attain I would suggest a minimum
aquarium size of 96” x 24” x 24” or
a large public aquarium!
Temperature: 22-26ºC
pH: 6.5-7.6
Sexual differences: There are no known
sexual differences although it is generally thought that
the females may be smaller and deeper bodied than the
males.
Breeding: There are no documented records
of aquarium spawnings, which is not really surprising
considering the fact that these catfish are not tolerant
of one another.
Diet: Hemibagrus wyckii is an
out and out predator capable of devouring any fish small
enough to fit inside its cavernous mouth. Whilst this
statement is true of this catfish in its natural habitat,
in captivity it will feed on pieces of fish, whole prawns,
mussels and earthworms to name but a few.
Compatibility: This catfish is destined
to always live a solitary life within the confines of
an aquarium, due to the fact that other fish will eventually
form part of its diet.
Colouration: The base colour of the body
is best described as being black with a cream coloured
coracoidal region. The caudal fin is dark grey in colour
with a white to cream coloured edge to caudal fin rays.
White coloured markings are present on the tips of the
pectoral fins and dorsal fin, and are also present on
the anterior edge of the adipose fin.
Body: The body is best described as being
depressed and broad. The head is described as being extremely
depressed and broad. The dorsal fin spine is described
as being well ossified and long with 10-12 serrations
on the posterior edge. This catfish has a smooth flat
skull roof with the occipital process reaching the basal
bone of the dorsal fin. The pectoral fins have 10-11 soft
rays; the pelvic fins have 6 soft rays. The caudal fin
is best described as being forked.
Photo Credits:
Bagarius bagarius - Asian
Exports
Hemibagrus wyckioides - Johnny
Jensen's Photographic Library
Ompok bimaculatus
- Johnny
Jensen's Photographic Library
Pangasius hypophthalmus
- Leigh Murphy
Hemibagrus wyckii - Chris Ralph
References: Planet Catfish -
www.planetcatfish.com, ScotCat –
www.scotcat.com FishBase - www.fishbase.org
Catfish Association Great Britain Volume 1, Baensch
Aquarium Atlas 2, Hans A Baensch and Dr Rudiger
Riel.
Published in Practical Fishkeeping January 2006.
