Dragon bagrid catfish

Care at a glance

Overview

This is one of the more manageable members of a genus otherwise full of giants, reaching about 20 centimeters. Keep it singly, since it is a solitary, territorial fish rather than a group species. It is a hardy, mostly nocturnal bottom dweller and an opportunist that will eat any fish small enough to swallow, though it leaves larger tankmates alone, so house it only with robust, medium to large companions. Give it wood, caves, and dim light to shelter in by day. Feed meaty sinking foods, frozen items, and the occasional earthworm in the evening. A tank of around 300 liters with cover and open floor suits it.

In the wild

It comes from blackwater rivers and streams in Borneo, including the Kapuas, Kayan, and Sebangau drainages, where the water is soft, tannin-stained, and shaded by forest. Recreate that with driftwood, a sand bed, some leaf litter, and subdued lighting. Warm water between 23 and 27 C and a soft to neutral pH around 6.0 to 7.5 suit it, though it proves adaptable in the aquarium. Cover and low light do more for its confidence than open space.

Good to know

Hemibagrus olyroides is a bagrid catfish, family Bagridae, described by Tyson Roberts in 1989. It reaches about 20 centimeters, which is small and slim for a genus that includes true river monsters such as Hemibagrus wyckii and Hemibagrus wyckioides at over a meter. Its name, olyroides, means resembling Olyra, another slender bagrid genus. Breeding is not recorded in aquariums, and stock is wild caught.

Did you know

Its genus, Hemibagrus, contains some of Asia's most notorious tank-buster catfish, growing well over a meter long. This species is one of the branch that stayed small, topping out near 20 centimeters.

Common questions

Related species

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• 

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