Hendrickson's bee catfish

Akysis hendricksoni

Also known as Hendricksoni akysis

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 2.4 in (6 cm)
Minimum tank: 14 gal (54 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Peninsular Malaysia and peninsular Thailand
Family: Akysidae

Overview

Hendrickson's bee catfish is a small, peaceful stream catfish that hides by day, often buried in sand or tucked under wood, and forages after dark. It is community safe and can be kept as a small group of its own kind with other calm, modest-sized fish, but it will not fight for food against pushy tankmates. A soft sand bed is essential so it can bury. Feed sinking foods in the evening: frozen and live bloodworm, daphnia, and brine shrimp, plus small sinking pellets once it settles. Give it around 54 liters with sand, gentle current, and clean, well oxygenated water. Take care when netting it, as the fin spines can sting.

In the wild

Akysis hendricksoni lives in forest streams of the Malay Peninsula, across northern Peninsular Malaysia and the far south of Thailand, over sand and gravel in clear, flowing water. Recreate that with a sandy bottom, smooth stones and wood, brisk flow, and high oxygen. Being a stream fish it prefers the cooler side of tropical, about 22 to 26 C, at soft to neutral chemistry of roughly pH 6.0 to 7.5, with stable, clean water.

Good to know

Akysis hendricksoni belongs to the Asian stream catfish family Akysidae and reaches about 6 centimeters, making it one of the larger bee catfishes. It was described in 1966 and named for the marine biologist John Hendrickson, who helped collect the original specimens. Like others in the genus it is a nocturnal micropredator and an egg layer with no parental care, and its breeding is not recorded in aquaria.

Did you know

This catfish carries the name of biologist John Hendrickson, a mentor to the scientist who described it in 1966 and who helped net the very first specimens used to name the species.

Tank mates

Hendrickson's bee catfish is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.