Photo: Martin Fisch, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ghost catfish
Kryptopterus vitreolus
8 cm
Adult size
160 L
Minimum volume
10
Minimum group
8 years
Lifespan
Water parameters
Understand these values- Genus
- Kryptopterus
- Diet
- carnivore and omnivore
- Social life
- shoal
In the wild
Overview
The aquarium glass catfish was only described in 2013, by Ng Heok Hee and Maurice Kottelat, as Kryptopterus vitreolus (“little glass fish”). Before that it was sold as K. bicirrhis or K. minor, two different species. A small anecdote: the original paper left out the words “new species”, which forced the authors to publish a short note to make the name valid.
Its almost completely transparent body reveals its skeleton; its two long barbels help it sense its surroundings. It measures about 6.5 cm without the tail.
- Scientific name
- Kryptopterus vitreolus Ng & Kottelat, 2013
- Classification
- Siluriformes › Siluridae
- IUCN Red List
- Least concern (LC)
Natural habitat
Coastal rivers of peninsular Thailand and south-eastern Thailand (Cardamom Mountains)
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Rivers and lakes
It is known only from the coastal rivers of peninsular Thailand flowing into the Gulf of Thailand south of the Isthmus of Kra, and from a few rivers in the Cardamom Mountains, in the south-east of the country; the type locality is in Trat province.
It prefers slow or still water, brown and turbid or black and acidic. Heavily collected for the hobby and never bred commercially, it is being watched for the state of its wild populations.
Behaviour
Very gregarious, it forms tight shoals and wastes away if kept alone: a group of at least 6 is a minimum. It hovers motionless in open water, slightly tilted, facing the current.
Peaceful but shy, it copes poorly with large or boisterous companions; it may eat eggs and fry. A predator of small invertebrates and zooplankton, it appreciates fine live or frozen prey. Its breeding is not documented.
Sources:FishBase Seriously Fish GBIF · Base map: Natural Earth