#bumblebee catfish

First, a disclaimer: [There are many catfish referred to as simply “Bumblebee Catfish” in the aquarium trade. Please make sure you have the right one! I would be happy to ID for you if you aren’t sure. This information does not at all apply to any other species of “bee”, please research those elsewhere!]

Scientific Name:    Pseudomystus siamensis [I highly recommend doing all further research on these fish by using their scientific name. Given the confusion in the hobby about the various “bumblebee catfish”, it is especially important to try to narrow down your searches as much as possible to avoid confusing information about the other “bees” with information about your actual fish. Even so, do be wary that not everyone with a “bee” has it properly identified, so some might slap the wrong scientific name on their fish as well. This species will really put you to the test in your ability to be discriminating in your research!]

Max Size:    5.9″ SL, 150mm SL [“SL” stands for “Standard Length”, meaning the length of the fish from the tip of its “nose” to the base of the tail. This means that if you include those long tail fins, adults of this species can exceed 6″ in length! But this is a maximum size, so not every P. siamensis will get quite this big, just as not every human reaches 6 or 7ft. Still, you don’t know what level of growth your fish is capable of, so it is best to plan for it to reach its maximum size!]

Minimum Tank Size:    40g “long” or “breeder” (single specimen tank only, larger for a community) [This fish is very active at night, and needs to be able to “stretch its fins” so to speak. They are not small fish, so it is important to give them space to move relative to their potential full size. Read more here about how I calculate minimum tank size. Also keep in mind that, as with all fish, it is best to aim beyond minimums whenever possible! More here on the meaning of minimum tank size, and why we should always aim higher.]

Habitat:    Chao Phraya and Mekong River basins [These fish originate from the Chao Phraya and Mekong river basins, meaning relatively deep water compared to the standard aquarium, and moderate flow. They do prefer to spend most of their time out of the highest flow, as they would naturally hide in driftwood tangles and the like along the floor of these rivers and their tributaries, so they can be comfortably housed in a well filtered but otherwise fairly standard tank set up. While they are easy fish that would tolerate a wide variety of aquarium conditions, enterprising aquarists wishing to create a more biotopic habitat for this species could create a beautiful river tank with driftwood tangles, plants, and areas of varied flow that would be perfect for these beautiful “bees”. This fish’s native habitat does experience a dry season and a monsoon season, so those truly dedicated to mimicking the natural environment could copy these seasonal changes as well.]

Water Requirements:    pH: 5.8 - 7.8    Temp: 68 - 78.8F, 20 - 26C    Hardness: 4 - 20 dH [P. siamensis comes from soft, acidic water and would fare best housed in conditions as close to that as possible, but these fish are remarkably hardy. They can withstand even the worst beginner mistakes, so for those with an interest in them and room to provide adequate conditions, they would actually make excellent fish for the inexperienced fish keeper. This is seen in their ability to survive in their native river systems, which are becoming increasingly polluted.]

Diet:    Predatory Carnivore [P. siamensis is primarily carnivorous, but not exclusively. Gut content analysis done in a survey by the Mekong River Commission (pg. 94 of this pdf) lists that stomachs of this species contained “insects, aquatic insect larvae, including odonatans, fish and large crustaceans, earthworms, snails, roots, fruits and detritus”. These fish would do best on a varied diet high in insect based protein sources. They are also remarkably adaptable in terms of diet, however, and readily accept prepared foods, so meeting their dietary needs in home aquaria is not at all difficult.]

Compatibility:    Predatory, Territorial with Consepecifics [This species has a bad reputation of being hard to place with tankmates, but I would argue that it is not all that well deserved. Tankmates do need to be chosen with some care, but not to the extremes that most would recommend. P. siamensis is a predatory fish, so tankmates small enough to be eaten are likely to become prey for this fish. Safest are fish that are no smaller than half the cat’s maximum size, in this case 3 inches or larger, and as well deeper bodied fish are less likely to be preyed upon, though sufficiently sized torpedo shaped fish would still fare well. Many would call this fish “aggressive”, but I would argue that’s not the case. They are aggressive to “conspecifics”, or any fish similar enough in shape or color to the cat that they might feel threatened by it, but that is the extent of their aggressive behavior. Paired with dissimilar fish too large to be eaten, and with care taken to make sure food is reaching the cat so it doesn’t feel hungry enough to get desperate, P. siamensis is a model community tank citizen.]

Behavior:    Active, Nocturnal [This fish is nocturnal, so throughout the day it will spend almost all of its time hiding out in a favorite hiding spot. These fish absolutely require appropriate hiding spaces that provide a completely dark space when the tank is fully lit, and show a preference for wood over stone or artificial decorations, though they will accept anything that is dark enough. You will rarely catch a glimpse of this fish during the day, when it will seem very shy and reclusive, but at night they are very active and will take advantage of all provided space to move. Over time, they can be trained to come out in the evening or early morning for food, which gives you the chance to observe and appreciate this beautiful fish more often. Unfortunately, without such training, this is the kind of fish that you could almost forget you have, because they hide so well in the daytime. To truly get to appreciate this beautiful species, the aquarist needs to put in a little extra work with their fish, but those times you do get to see them are all the more rewarding for it. For me, P. siamensis has proven to be an intelligent, personable fish able to recognize its owner.]

Sexing and Reproduction:    Easy, Not yet accomplished [P. siamensis is very easy to sex, especially in mature specimens. Males have an elongate genital papillae right in front of their anal fin, which looks like a short white protrusion sometimes laying against the foremost edge of the fin. (Reference picture here.) Females lack this papillae, and when mature will have their body cavities wildly distort when they are ripe with eggs. P. siamensis has yet to be intentionally bred in home aquaria (there is one report of an accidental spawning) though this is likely due to a lack of interest and few concerted efforts being made. This fish is usually either wild caught, or bred in mass spawning pools where many fish are dumped in together to spawn naturally without human intervention, and groups of fish are later harvested.]

Overall, P. siamensis is an extremely hardy, adaptable fish. For those with an interest that can provide adequate conditions and don’t mind their reclusive daytime behavior, I would highly recommend this gorgeous catfish species. My Dexter has a special place in my heart, as the fish that really got me invested in my tanks and learning proper care, and also as my gateway fish to my obsessions with catfish and SE Asian freshwater fishes! It’s ultimately because of him that I’ve found my passion in life and am now pursuing my dream of being an Ichthyologist.

Further Reading:

Planet Catfish Seriously Fish Fishbase IUCN Mekong River Commission

Pictures!

Unfortunately, with the shy daytime habits, it is exceptionally difficult to get good pictures of these gorgeous fishes! Below are my best attempts to photograph my Dexter, but trust me, the real deal is so much more beautiful! True colors are dark brown or black striped with white to gold. Also...sorry for the algae and such, he always likes the hardest areas to clean. ^^;;

I have more pictures elsewhere, but I’ll have to try hunting them down some other time. I’ll edit them in as I come across them and remember.