Article © Heok Hee Ng, uploaded December 02, 2013.

What? Another "obscure" catfish from deepest, darkest Sumatra? Yes indeed - because we love bagrids! This month, Dr. Heok Hee Ng introduces another small catfish that fans of a specialist nano aquarium might seriously consider setting up a tank for.

Bumblebee catfishes (whether of the Asian or South American persuasion) tend to be loners and do not take living in a group particularly well. This is also partly a function of size: the larger the fish, the more likely it would be intolerant of conspecifics. The subject of this month's article is a bumblebee catfish that is decidedly social and grows to only about 6 cm total length. The only catch? It requires low-pH blackwater to thrive.

Pseudomystus heokhuii is native to central Sumatra, where it is caught from peat swamp forests and periodically exported in the aquarium trade. It was previously misidentified as P. leiacanthus (a species that typically does not inhabit blackwater habitats), until it was described as a distinct species in 2008. Although superficially very similar to P. leiacanthus, P. heokhuii is easily distinguished by its more pointed head and pale midlateral stripe on the body interrupting the pale vertical bands on the body.

P. heokhuii does best in small groups of at least 4—6 individuals (the usual caveat of persistent bullying when schooling fish are kept in too few a group applies here), and will readily feed on most dry foods (although frozen/live food should be offered as an occasional treat). In the wild, they enjoy hovering and hiding just under overhanging roots/ vegetation, so a hiding spot of this nature would be much appreciated. The only problem is that P. heokhuii is an obligate blackwater species, requiring highly acidic (pH of about 4) water to thrive. This is not to say that they cannot be kept in less acidic conditions (they can be maintained in more “normal” pH-6 conditions), but they become more prone to infections (especially fungal infections) when not maintained under optimal conditions.

Being a small catfish, P. heokhuii is relatively docile and should do very well with most Asian blackwater fish species in a biotope setup. Just don't add any Paedocypris as tankmates.

Copyright information for the images used in this article can be found on the species' full Cat-eLog page.

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	Pseudomystus heokhuii  Lim & Ng, 2008
Common Name	Mottled Bumblebee Catfish
Type Locality	Batang Hari drainage at Rantau Panjang, Jambi, Sumatra.
Pronunciation	SUE doh MIST uss
Etymology	From the Greek pseudos, meaning lie, and mystus, a genus of bagrid catfishes. In reference to the overall similarity of the two genera.
Articles
Species Information
Size	64mm or 2.5" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	Members of the bagrid genus Pseudomystus are small- to mid-sized freshwater catfish endemic to Southeast Asia.Pseudomystus are commonly found in swamps and rivers throughout Southeast Asia. They can be differentiated from Leiocassis by a relatively short snout and a subterminal mouth. Many Pseudomystus have a color pattern of contrasting vertical bars or blotches. Distinguished by its somewhat mottled coloration and the presence of small pale spots on the head. Previously misidentified as P. leiacanthus, this until recently undescribed species has been in the aquarium trade for at least a decade.
Sexing	Males are more slender and possess an elongate genital papilla in front of the anal fin.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Asia: Batang Hari and Indragiri River drainages in Sumatra, Indonesia. Pacific, Greater Sunda Island Rivers, Sumatra Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Log in to view data on a map.
IUCN Red List Category	Endangered, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2019.
pH	4.0 - 6.0
Temperature	22.0-27.0°C or 71.6-80.6°F (Show species within this range)
Other Parameters	Prefers blackwater.
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Readily feeds on live/frozen foods and other prepared foods such as pellets. User data.
Furniture	The substrate should be underlain with at least 1/2" of peat. Provide plenty of driftwood as hiding places.
Compatibility	A peaceful, sociable species that is compatible with most fish. Keep in groups of at least three, if possible. Ideal tankmates include pearl (Trichogaster leerii) and chocolate (Sphaerichthys osphromenoides) gouramies, clown rasboras (Rasbora kalochroma), two spot catfish (Mystus bimaculatus), bar-bellied spiny eels (Macrognathus circumcinctus) and other Asian blackwater fish in a biotope tank.
Breeding	Not reported.
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
Further Information
Reference	Zootaxa No. 1686, pp 38, Figs. 1, 2a, 3a, 4a.
Registered Keepers	There are 7 registered keepers, view all "my cats" data.
Wishlists	Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list. There are 2 wishes to keep this species, see who wants what.
Spotters	Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There are 7 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
Forum BBCode
	Search for P. heokhuii
	Look up P. heokhuii on AquaticRepublic.com
	Look up P. heokhuii on Fishbase
	Look up P. heokhuii on Encyclopedia of Life
	Look up P. heokhuii on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
	LFS label creator ARN ref:1.8.171.886
Last Update	2020 Sep 20 01:41 (species record created: 2013 Dec 02 20:02)

Back to Catfish of the Month index.