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***Akysis* *varius*** Ng & Kottelat, 1998

Image contributors to this species:

Nonn Panitvong (1) Fishes of Mainland Southeast Asia (1)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Description: Dorsal soft rays (total): 5-6; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10; Vertebrae: 31 - 33. Distinguished from all its congeners by the following unique combination of characters: truncate caudal fin; length of caudal peduncle 16.1-19.8% SL; depth of caudal peduncle 6.5-9.3% SL; length of adipose-fin base 25.6-29.5% SL; interorbital distance 42-46% HL; eye diameter 13-20% HL; length of nasal barbel 44-66% HL; straight lateral margins of the head when viewed dorsally; and 0-5 serrae on the posterior edge of the pectoral spine. Aquarium Care: Akysis are easy to keep for any decent fishkeeper. You can keep in small tanks (30cm wide x 20cm high x 30cm deep) with a sand bottom, small pipes, and caves. They will either bury themselves in the sand or hide in caves and pipes. They are not usually active during the day but will spring to action and eat voraciously and crazily if food is put in the tank. Diet: They will eat bloodworm, chopped earthworms, whiteworm, daphnia, and sinking pellets (although they seem to prefer live or frozen food). Etymology: The genus name Akysis: A = without; kysis = bladder, in reference to the lack of a swimbladder. The specific name varius: variable, referring to the highly variable number of serrae on posterior edge of pectoral spine. Remarks: The first thumbnail specimen was collected by the image contributor in the Phitsanulork Prov. Upper Choa Phraya, Thailand. Although it is similar to Akysis varius, which comes from the Mekong drainage, this is from the Phraya drainage so it may be an undescibed species.

Common Name:

None

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Akysidae

Distribution:

Asia: Thailand, Phitsanulork Prov. Upper Choa Phraya.

Size:

4.0cm (1½ins)

Temp:

18-24°C (63-75°F)

p.H.

6.5-7.5.

Reference:

Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2011. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version.
Ng, H.H. and M. Kottelat, 1998. The catfish genus Akysis Bleeker (Teleostei: Akysidae) in Indochina, with descriptions of six new species. J. Nat. Hist. 32:1057-1097.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.

Family: Akysidae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Akysis varius

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