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CATFISH


SILURIDAE FAMILY
The Siluridae or Old-world Catfish Family is found in Southeast Asia and is represented in aquaria, by the genera Kryptopterus and Ompok. Estimates from 60 to 100 species have been made.

Glass catfish, Ghost catfish [Pictures]
Kryptopterus bicirrhis
SYN: Cryptopterichthys bicirrhis, Kryptopterus minor, Silurus bicirrhis
PD: Its body is elongated and laterally compressed. This species is scaleless and lacks body pigment, thus making the body transparent. The internal organs and backbone are clearly visible. Depending on the angle of light, the body can have a iridescent rainbow color. A long pair of barbels are located on the upper jaw. The dorsal fin is very small, consisting of only one ray, while the caudal fin is forked.
SIZE: To 6" (15 cm) in nature, although not usually larger than 4.7" (12 cm) in aquaria.
SS: Kryptopterus, Ompok
HAB: Southeast Asia; slow-moving, rivers with heavy vegetation in Borneo, Java, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Sumatra, Malaysia
S: Middle
TANK: 20" (60 cm) or 10 gallons (38 L) is adequate for young fish under 2" (5 cm). Adults should be kept in larger tanks. The tank should have a moderate to strong current and be well-planted. A cover of floating plants is recommended to dim the light.
WATER: pH 6.5-7.5 (7.0), 4-15 dH (8), 73-82¡F (23-28¡C)
SB: A peaceful community fish that should be kept in a shoal of at least four fish. Single fish do poorly. A diurnal catfish. Do not combine with large, aggressive species.
SC: Tetras, Gouramis, barbs, danios, Corydoras, Loricarids, Loaches, Hatchetfish, Platies, Kribensis, Red-tailed Shark.
FOOD: Live; Tubifex, brine shrimp, insect larvae; flake.
SEX: Difficult to distinguish; females are plumper when mature.
B: Breeding is rare and usually accidental. Try feeding a pair mosquito larvae, Daphnia, and bloodworms to get them in spawning condition. Stimulate the rainy season to initiate spawning by daily water changes of 1/4 the tank volume. Lower the water temperature to 72-75¡F (22-24¡C) and reduce the tank water level to half of normal. Each day, add a small amount (5% of the tank volume) of soft water to the tank. If the fish are ready to spawn, the female's belly will swell. She will lay several hundred eggs on plants. Separate the parents from the eggs. Simulating the rainy season will help the eggs mature. Start feeding the fry with newly hatched brine shrimp.
BP: 9. Breeding the Glass Catfish is very difficult.
R: A nervous catfish.
DC: 4. The Glass Catfish is sensitive to changes in water chemistry and water pollutants. Its diet should occasionally include live foods.



Recent news

Using fish as livestock feed threatens global fisheries

(11/18/2009) Fish doesn't just feed humans. Millions of tons of fish are fed every year to chickens, pigs, and even farmed fish even in the midst of rising concerns over fish stocks collapses around the world. Finding an alternative to fish as livestock feed would go a long way toward preventing the collapse of fish populations worldwide according to a new paper in Oryx.


ICCAT fails to protect critically endangered tuna—again

(11/15/2009) The International Commissions for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) ignored the advice of its scientists to end fishing of the Atlantic bluefin tuna. Instead ICAAT set a quota of 13,500 tons of fish. This is not the first time ICCAT has flouted its own researchers' advice: it has repeatedly set quotas well-above its researchers' recommendations.


Governments, public failing to save world's species

(11/04/2009) According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) 2008 report, released yesterday, 36 percent of the total species evaluated by the organization are threatened with extinction. If one adds the species classified as Near Threatened, the percentage jumps to 44 percent—nearly half.


Atlantic bluefin tuna should be banned internationally: ICCAT scientists

(10/29/2009) Scientists with the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) have said in a new report that a global ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna fishing is justified. ICCAT meets in November to decide if they will follow their scientist's recommendations.


The Yangtze River may have lost another inhabitant: the Chinese paddlefish

(10/22/2009) In December of 2006 it was announced that the Yangtze River dolphin, commonly known as the baiji, had succumbed to extinction. The dolphin had survived on earth for 20 million years, but the species couldn't survive the combined onslaught of pollution, habitat loss, boat traffic, entanglement in fishing hooks, death from illegal electric fishing, and the construction of several massive dams. Now, another flagship species of the Yangtze River appears to have vanished.


Freshwater species worse off than land or marine

(10/15/2009) Scientists have announced that freshwater species are likely the most threatened on earth. Extinction rates for freshwater inhabitants are currently four to six times the rates for terrestrial and marine species. Yet, these figures have not lead to action on the ground.



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Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2009

The copy for fish.mongabay.com was written in 1994-1995. Therefore some information such as scientific names may be out of date. For this, I apologize. Feel free to send corrections to me.