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Hi-fin mystus

Mystus falcarius

Also known as Falcarius catfish, Hi-fin cat

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
7.5 in (19 cm)
Minimum tank
79 gal (300 L)
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
Tankmates with caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Origin
Irrawaddy and Sittaung basins, Myanmar
Family
Bagridae

Overview

This is a tall-finned Burmese catfish reaching about 19 centimeters. Despite being a Mystus, it is best kept singly or as a single pair rather than in a shoal, as it can be pushy with its own kind in a tank. It is an active, mostly nocturnal bottom fish that will eat small tankmates but ignores fish too large to swallow, so choose sturdy, medium to large companions. Give it open floor to cruise, wood and rock for shelter, and some current. Feed meaty sinking foods, frozen bloodworm, prawn, and the occasional earthworm. A tank of around 300 liters with cover and open swimming length suits it.

In the wild

It lives in Myanmar, in the Irrawaddy and neighboring river drainages, working the slower reaches and floodplains over soft substrates. A tank that echoes that suits it: a sand bed, driftwood and rocky caves, some planting, and moderate flow. Keep the water warm at 23 to 27 C and soft to neutral, around pH 6.0 to 7.5. It is not fussy about chemistry as long as the water stays clean and stable, but it does want places to hide by day.

Good to know

Mystus falcarius is a bagrid catfish, family Bagridae, described by Chakrabarty and Ng in 2005 and reaching about 19 centimeters. Its name comes from the Latin falx, meaning sickle, for the deeply curved rear edge of its tall dorsal fin and the crescent-shaped mark on its shoulder. It also carries very long whiskers that reach back to the tail. Breeding has not been recorded in aquariums.

Did you know

The name falcarius means sickle-bearer. It points to two features at once: the deeply concave back edge of the dorsal fin and the crescent-shaped dark mark just behind the gill cover.

Common questions

What size tank does a Hi-fin mystus need?

A Hi-fin mystus needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH do Hi-fin mystus need?

Hi-fin mystus are comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

How big do Hi-fin mystus get?

An adult Hi-fin mystus reaches about 7.5 in (19 cm).

Where to buy

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Appears in

Freshwater fish · Bottom dwellers

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