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Moth catfish (Erethistes pusillus) — Erethistidae

Moth catfish

Erethistes pusillus
Family: Erethistidae

The Moth catfish (Erethistes pusillus) is a freshwater fish of the family Erethistidae that grows up to 4 cm.

Length
4.2 cm
Water
Freshwater
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

The moth catfish is a small hillstream catfish (Erethistidae) from fresh water of the Ganges and Brahmaputra basins in South Asia. The species grows to about 4 cm and has a stocky, yellow-brown body with a rough skin, barbels and stout, serrated pectoral spines. As a nocturnal bottom-dweller it shelters by day among sand, gravel and leaf litter of flowing streams and searches for insect larvae and small invertebrates at night. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Moth catfish?

The Moth catfish has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly brown.

Where does the Moth catfish live?

The Moth catfish lives in fresh water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Moth catfish get?

The Moth catfish grows to a maximum of about 4 cm.

Is the Moth catfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Moth catfish is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Mot-meerval sourced
English name
Moth catfish sourced
Scientific name
Erethistes pusillus
Family
Erethistidae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
4.2 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Barbels
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

More from the family Erethistidae

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