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Burmese caterpillar badis

Badis pyema

Also known as Pyema badis

FreshwaterFish

Burmese caterpillar badis (Badis pyema)

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
1.8 in
4.5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Badidae
Origin
Kachin streams, northern Myanmar

Overview

The Burmese caterpillar badis is a slow-moving, retiring dwarf for a quiet tank. It suits a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

Burmese caterpillar badis courtship is a wrestling match. Pairs briefly lock jaws and flare before they spawn inside a cave.

Caring for the Burmese caterpillar badis

Give the Burmese caterpillar badis a well-structured tank of at least 11 gal (40 L), with plenty of caves and broken lines of sight. Use a sand and rounded-gravel bottom with water-worn stones, roots and leaf litter for shelter. It keeps to the bottom and to cover.

Keep the water soft to medium and close to neutral, at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Give it gentle to moderate flow, good oxygenation and subdued lighting. It is a fussy micropredator that often refuses dry food. Feed small live or frozen foods such as brine shrimp and daphnia.

Keep it singly or as one male-and-female pair, since males are territorial toward each other. It is peaceful but shy and easily intimidated. A species tank works best, or only small, gentle tank mates that will not bully it or steal its food.

It is a cave spawner, and breeding is of moderate difficulty. A pair forms a brief bond, and the male leads the female into a shelter. After spawning, the male alone guards the eggs and fans them until they hatch.

Good to know

The Burmese caterpillar badis, Badis pyema, is a chameleonfish in the family Badidae, also called the pyema badis. Kullander and Britz described it in 2002 as part of their revision of the group.

In the wild

The Burmese caterpillar badis is known only from clear, forested hill streams around Putao in Kachin state, northern Myanmar. These streams are shallow and fast flowing over rock, gravel and sand.

Common questions

What size tank does a Burmese caterpillar badis need?

A Burmese caterpillar badis needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Burmese caterpillar badis need?

A Burmese caterpillar badis is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a Burmese caterpillar badis eat?

A Burmese caterpillar badis eats small live or frozen foods such as brine shrimp and daphnia. It is a fussy micropredator and often refuses dry food.

How big does a Burmese caterpillar badis get?

An adult Burmese caterpillar badis reaches about 1.8 in (4.5 cm).

How does a Burmese caterpillar badis breed?

A Burmese caterpillar badis is a cave spawner. The male leads the female into a shelter, then guards and fans the eggs alone until they hatch.

Related species