Black Lancer Catfish (Bagrichthys macracanthus) Care Guide
Bagrichthys macracanthus is a dark Southeast Asian bagrid catfish with an elongated dorsal filament, nocturnal and territorial toward its own kind.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Bagrichthys macracanthus is a dark-bodied bagrid catfish of Southeast Asia. FishBase records it from Thailand to Indonesia, while the English Wikipedia lists Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia and Thailand. It is noted as the only Bagrichthys species traded for the aquarium hobby.
Taxonomy
- Family: Bagridae (bagrid catfishes)
- Genus: Bagrichthys
- Scientific name: Bagrichthys macracanthus
Habitat
FishBase reports that the species occurs in large, muddy rivers and is demersal. It spawns at the beginning of the rainy season and uses flooded riparian forests for reproduction, with juveniles appearing in August. The fish carries a long, trailing dorsal-fin filament.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 250 L
- Temperature: 22-26 °C (72-79 °F)
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 2-15 °dGH
- Lifespan: 5-10 years
Diet
FishBase classes it as a benthic feeder taking crustaceans, other small benthic animals and plant detritus, at trophic level 3.0. In the aquarium it accepts meaty sinking foods; Wikipedia notes it can be trained to take food during the day and even from the hand despite being primarily nocturnal.
Compatibility
Peaceful toward unrelated tankmates but territorial toward its own species; Wikipedia notes that keeping a single male with several females reduces aggression. It needs ample caves, driftwood and shaded cover. Newly imported specimens often arrive young and stressed and benefit from acclimation at elevated temperatures.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2018).
Breeding Bagrichthys macracanthus
Overview
Bagrichthys macracanthus, the black lancer, is a bagrid catfish reaching about 200-230 mm standard length. Seriously Fish gives its type locality as the confluence of the Lamatang and Enim rivers in Sumatra, Indonesia, and suggests the species may be endemic to Sumatra although it has traditionally been considered more widespread. It is a shy, nocturnal fish that prefers dimly-lit tanks with abundant hiding places, kept at 24-28 degrees Celsius and pH 5.5-7.0.
Sexing
Seriously Fish reports clear sexual differences. Males display a pointed genital papilla anterior to the anal fin and noticeably longer barbels, while females are typically slightly larger-bodied when sexually mature.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
In nature, adults relocate to temporarily flooded areas during the wet season to spawn. The seasonal inundation of new habitat is the natural reproductive trigger, but no spawning behaviour, fecundity or egg data has been documented in aquaria.
Common Challenges
The species is territorial toward benthic fish, especially conspecifics; Seriously Fish notes that males rarely tolerate one another except in very large setups and recommends keeping one male with three or more females. Combined with the complete absence of captive breeding records, this makes reproduction an unproven undertaking.