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Torpedo badis

Badis autumnum

Also known as Autumn badis

FreshwaterFish

Torpedo badis (Badis autumnum)

Care at a glance

Temperature
61–77°F
16–25°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
1.6 in
4 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Badidae
Origin
Streams of northern West Bengal, India

Overview

The torpedo badis is a slender, subtly colored dwarf for a cool, quiet tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

The torpedo badis is named for a season. Its epithet autumnum comes from the Latin for autumn, for a palette of rust, amber and smoky brown, the colors of fallen leaves.

Caring for the torpedo badis

Give the torpedo badis a well structured tank of at least 11 gal (40 L), with stone cover and some hardy plants. A gravel and pebble bottom, rounded rocks, roots and gentle to moderate current suit it.

Keep the water close to neutral, at a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, and cool at 61 to 77°F (16 to 25°C). It needs little or no heating, and often no heater at all. The torpedo badis is a micropredator that wants small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp and mosquito larvae. It tends to ignore dry food.

Keep it singly or as a pair rather than a group, since males hold territory. It is shy and slow to compete for food, so give it a species tank or only small, gentle tank mates.

The torpedo badis is a cave spawner, and breeding is moderately difficult. It follows the usual badid routine, with a guarded shelter and the male caring for the eggs.

Good to know

The torpedo badis is a member of the family Badidae, also sold as the autumn badis. Valdesalici and van der Voort described it in 2015 from a single stream system in West Bengal.

In the wild

The torpedo badis comes from cool foothill streams in the Cooch Behar area of northern West Bengal, in the Singimari drainage of northeast India. The water there runs clear, with moderate flow over gravel and stone.

Common questions

What size tank does a torpedo badis need?

A torpedo badis needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a torpedo badis need?

A torpedo badis is comfortable at 61–77°F (16–25°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a torpedo badis eat?

A torpedo badis eats small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp and mosquito larvae. It is a micropredator and tends to ignore dry food.

How big does a torpedo badis get?

An adult torpedo badis reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).

How does a torpedo badis breed?

A torpedo badis spawns in a cave. The male guards the shelter and cares for the eggs, and breeding it is moderately difficult.

Related species