Orange marble bee catfish

Akysis longifilis

Also known as Longifilis bee cat, Orange marble cat

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: Sittaung basin, Myanmar
Family: Akysidae

Overview

The orange marble bee catfish is a peaceful, sand-loving stream catfish that spends daylight hours buried or hidden and becomes active at night. It is community safe and settles well in a small group of its own kind alongside other calm, small fish, but it is a slow, methodical feeder that struggles against greedy tankmates. Fine sand is essential for burying. Feed after dark with sinking and frozen foods such as bloodworm, daphnia, and brine shrimp. A tank of around 54 liters with sand, pebbles, brisk flow, and high oxygen suits it. Its pectoral and dorsal spines can give a sting, so handle it gently.

In the wild

Akysis longifilis comes from the Sittaung river system of southern Myanmar, living in swift, clear streams over mixed sand, gravel, and rock. Give it the same at home: a sandy bed with smooth stones and wood, strong water movement, and plenty of oxygen. As a cool-stream fish it prefers about 22 to 26 C, at soft to neutral water of roughly pH 6.0 to 7.5, and it needs excellent water quality kept up with regular changes.

Good to know

Akysis longifilis is a stream catfish in the family Akysidae, reaching about 6 centimeters, patterned with pale saddle marks and yellowish bands over a brown body. Its species name means long thread, a reference to its unusually long barbels. It shares the Sittaung drainage with the closely related Akysis portellus, and like the rest of the genus it lays eggs without parental care; its breeding is not recorded in the hobby.

Did you know

This catfish reads its dark, sandy world mostly by touch. Its species name, meaning long thread, points to the extra-long barbels it trails over the bottom like fingers, feeling for food it never needs to see.

Tank mates

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