Catfish are an incredibly successful group of fish and have conquered practically all freshwater habitats. Only the sea catfish (Ariidae, the only true ornamental fish in this family is the Colombian mini shark) and the eel catfish (Plotosidae) are true marine fish, with around 30 of the 40 or so species of eel catfish regularly found in freshwater or living there permanently.
The latter group of purely freshwater fish includes the 11 species of the genus Neosilurus, which live on New Guinea (7 species) and in Australia. Identification of the species is difficult; proportions change in the course of their lives and a number of features used for scientific differentiation are not visible on the living animal. For this reason, Neosilurus in the ornamental fish trade are always named after the best known species, N. ater.
Due to the great interest shown in the rainbowfish of New Guinea in the hobby, other fish from the island are also increasingly coming into the trade, including Neosilurus. We obtain them from Indonesia. Visually, after comparing pictures, the “N. ater” imported by us most closely resemble the species N. novaeguineae. This species becomes about 20 cm long, N. ater around 40-45 cm; our animals are currently 12-15 cm long. All Neosilurus species build nests in gravel and guard the spawn and fry. Externally recognizable sexual differences have not yet been described. The fish are problem-free but greedy eaters that will accept any standard ornamental fish food of a suitable size. The chemical composition of the water (pH and hardness) is insignificant; if it is drinkable, Neosilurus can also be kept in it. The water temperature can be between 22 and 28°C.
There are not many published aquarium observations on these fish. In our fishhouse they are peaceful and sociable. They are said not to eat small fish, but we would not rely on this. Shrimps and snails are definitely at risk.
For our customers: the animals have code 438404 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
