| Two-spot catfish | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Bagridae |
| Genus: | Mystus |
| Species: | M. micracanthus |
| Binomial name | |
| Mystus micracanthus (Bleeker, 1846) |
|
Mystus micracanthus, the two-spot catfish, is a species of catfish of the family Bagridae. The species was available in aquarium circles without a scientific name until a connection was made to a description of Mystus micracanthus by the ichthyologist Bleeker, in 1846. The artist's impression at that time showed a catfish without any obvious markings, although another researcher in the early 1940s described it with two body spots.
It is one of the most attractively coloured species within the genus[says who?] and will thrive in a neutral system.
Habitat: Sumatra, Java, Borneo and Thailand
Length: 125 mm (5 in)
Diet: Crustacean foods, shrimps, etc. Will accept aquarium foods
Sex difference: Males are smaller and more slender in the body than females
Aquarium compatibility: Not safe with very small fishes, although they are ideally suited to an Asian-style community aquarium containing barbs and gouramis
Aquarium breeding: As in Mystus armatus