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Johnny Jensen's  Photographic Library (2) Jean-Francois Helias (2)

Discription: Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal soft rays: 77 - 85. Maxillary barbels extending to eyes, mandibulary ones minute. Dorsal fin absent; pectoral fins much shorter than head, with a denticulated spine; pelvic fins small; anal fin long, its base 2.8-3.0 times HL. Head 4 2/3 times in SL; vomerine teeth in smoothly curved band; short maxillary barbel not extending beyond jaw; mandibular barbels shorter than eye width; caudal peduncle lacking dark blotch at its base. Body depth 5.1-5.9 times in SL. Habitat: Occurs in rivers, streams and lakes as well as in impoundments. A migratory species. Undertakes lateral migrations from the Mekong River into smaller tributaries and into the floodplains at the start of the flood season, returning back to the main river channel when the water begins to recede at the onset of the dry season. Migrations are triggered by the first rainfall at the end of the dry season, as well as water level changes. Lunar cycle affects also the movements. Returns to the river from the floodplain and tributaries on, or immediately before, the full moon. Diet: Feeds on small fishes, shrimps and aquatic insect larvae.

Bleeker's Sheathfish

SKryptopterus bleekeri, Cryptopterus bleekeri, Micronema bleekeri Bocourt, 1866

Siluridae

Asia: Mekong and Chao Phraya River basins, and Sundaland.

60.0cm. (24ins)

20-26°C (67-79°F)

6.0-7.0.

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. 2008. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (02/2011).
Rainboth, W.J., 1996. Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong. FAO Species Identification Field Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome, 265 p.