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Pseudomystus mahakamensis (Vaillant, 1902)

Image contributors to this species:

Alex Pourreau (3)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Aquarium Care: Can be kept in a community tank but would watch if housing an adult with smaller Characins or Livebearers as they could be picked of at night when it starts cruising the tank. Diet: Any good food that would reach into their hiding places during the day or feed at night with the lights out, tablet food, worms and frozen bloodworm. Etymology: The genus name Pseudomystus: Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, mystax = whiskered, used by Belon in 1553 to describe all fishes with whiskers. The specific name mahakamensis: –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Mahakam River, eastern Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia, type locality.

Common Name:

Bornean Clown Catfish

Synonyms:

Leiocassis mahakamensis

Family:

Bagridae

Distribution:

Asia: Mahakam River basin, Borneo. Type locality: Tepoe, bords du Mahakam, Bornéo central.

Size:

10.0cm (4ins)

Temp:

21-26°C (70-79°F)

p.H.

6.5-7.2.

IUCN Red List

This species is known from the Mahakam River drainage in Borneo and the Tulangbawan River drainage in southern Sumatra. Potential threats include habitat degradation resulting from deforestation due to logging and land conversion for plantation agriculture. However, the direct impact of these threats on habitat extent and population status are unknown. Given uncertainties regarding the extent of occurrence (EOO), population size, status, and the scope and magnitude of potential threats, this species is assessed as Data Deficient until more information becomes available (IUCN 2020).

Reference:

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2026. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 02/2026 ).
Kottelat, M. and A.J. Whitten, 1996. Freshwater fishes of Western Indonesia and Sulawesi: additions and corrections. Periplus Editions, Hong Kong. 8 p.
Ng, H.H. 2020. Pseudomystus mahakamensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020.

Family: Bagridae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Pseudomystus mahakamensis

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