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Asian stone catfish

Hara jerdoni

Also known as Dwarf anchor catfish, Moth catfish, Anchor catfish

FreshwaterFish

Asian stone catfish (Hara jerdoni)

Care at a glance

Temperature
64–75°F
18–24°C
pH
5.6–7.6
Adult size
1.6 in
4 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Family
Sisoridae
Origin
Native to rivers of northeastern India and Bangladesh.

Overview

The Asian stone catfish is a peaceful nano oddball that should be kept in a group of six or more and only with equally tiny, gentle tankmates, since it is too small and slow to compete with anything boisterous. It is a picky feeder that wants small meaty frozen and live foods like baby brine shrimp, cyclops, and bloodworm, and often ignores dry food. Keep the water cool and clean with good oxygen. A small group is happy in a well-planted tank of around 40 liters.

In the wild

This tiny catfish lives in cool, clear, shaded streams and leaf-littered pools of northeastern India and Bangladesh, where it sits camouflaged among sunken leaves and roots. It needs comparatively cool, highly oxygenated water to stay healthy, so it is not a fish for a warm tropical community. Provide fine sand, leaf litter, driftwood, and gentle flow at 18 to 24 degrees C.

Good to know

Hara jerdoni belongs to the small South Asian hillstream catfish group, often placed in the family Erethistidae within the sisorid catfishes, and grows to only about 4 cm. Its mottled brown body and long pectoral spines mimic a dead leaf or twig on the streambed. It is a delicate, slow-moving bottom feeder built for cool, oxygen-rich water.

Did you know

At barely 4 cm and colored like a dead leaf, it can vanish completely on the substrate, and keepers often lose track of their whole group until feeding time.

Common questions

What size tank does an Asian stone catfish need?

An Asian stone catfish needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an Asian stone catfish need?

An Asian stone catfish is comfortable at 64–75°F (18–24°C) with a pH of 5.6–7.6.

How big does an Asian stone catfish get?

An adult Asian stone catfish reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).

Related species