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Found in backwaters. Marketed live and contributes to a local fishery during rainy season. The Horabagrus genera including H. brachysoma and H. nigricollaris were originally placed in the Bagridae family but work carried out by JAYARAM suggested that the Horabagrus were more closely related to the Schilbidae family but could be given their own family, Horabagridae, with some species taken out of the Schilbidae that are phylogenetically different. Aquarium Care: Will need a large tank with places to hide as they are extremely nocturnal and will only be seen sporadically during the day. Diet: Will eat most prepared foods and is an easy fish to keep as long as tankmates are not too small as they will eat small fish. Etymology: The specific name nigricollaris: niger, from niger (L.), black; collaris (L.), pertaining to the neck, referring to the dark saddle-shaped mark on nape. Remarks: Grows a bit smaller than its conspecific, H. brachystoma and has a different body colouration, plus it has a collar (hence common name) of black surrounded by white, whereas H. brachystoma has a spot instead.

Black Collared Catfish

None

Horabagridae

Asia: India, Kerala, Chalakudy River, 26 km upstream of Chalakudy town, near  Vettilappara.

30.0cm. (12ins)

23-25°C (73-77°F)

6.5-7.2.

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Finley, Lee and Warren, Burgess E. An Atlas of Freshwater and Marine Catfishes:  UPDATE  t.f.h. Oct.1996:  p163-174.
K.C. Jayaram. 2006, Catfishes of India. Narendera Publishing House. 383p.
ScotCat Factsheet no. 127. Jan. 2007.