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Yellow eel-tail catfish

Neosilurus hyrtlii

Also known as Hyrtl's tandan, Glencoe tandan

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–82°F (21–28°C)
pH
6.5–7.8
Adult size
13.4 in (34 cm)
Minimum tank
106 gal (400 L)
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
Tankmates with caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Origin
Inland and northern Australia
Family
Plotosidae

Overview

A hardy, active eel-tailed catfish that spends its nights cruising the bottom and probing sand and gravel for food. It is kept as a solitary fish rather than in a group, so house one to a tank, or a pair where the tank is large. It is peaceful in temperament but will eat fish small enough to swallow, so keep larger, easygoing tankmates and select them carefully. It is not fussy about food: offer sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm, chopped prawn, mussel and earthworms in the evening. Give it a long, open sand floor to patrol and a tank of at least 400 liters.

In the wild

Hyrtl's tandan is the most widespread eel-tailed catfish in Australia, found from desert rivers of the dry interior to coastal streams across the north. It takes a wide band of warm water, roughly 21 to 28 C, and neutral, moderately hard conditions around pH 6.5 to 7.8. Give it a sand or fine gravel bed for digging, driftwood and stones for cover, and clean, well-filtered water.

Good to know

Neosilurus hyrtlii belongs to the family Plotosidae and reaches about 34 centimeters, buttery yellow to gold below. It is an omnivorous bottom feeder taking insects, crustaceans and small fish, and in the wild it breeds in shallow sandy reaches as the wet season begins. Breeding is not recorded in home aquaria. Its fin spines are venomous, in common with the rest of the eel-tailed catfishes, so handle it gently.

Did you know

It is a boom-and-bust desert fish. When inland floods fill rivers that stand dry most of the year, it spawns and spreads fast, colonising channels that may hold water for only a single wet season.

Common questions

What size tank does a Yellow eel-tail catfish need?

A Yellow eel-tail catfish needs at least 106 gal (400 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH do Yellow eel-tail catfish need?

Yellow eel-tail catfish are comfortable at 70–82°F (21–28°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.

How big do Yellow eel-tail catfish get?

An adult Yellow eel-tail catfish reaches about 13.4 in (34 cm).

Where to buy

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…or ask your local fish store.

Appears in

Freshwater fish · Bottom dwellers

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