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Ornate bumblebee catfish (Hyalobagrus ornatus) — Bagridae

Ornate bumblebee catfish

Hyalobagrus ornatus
Family: Bagridae

The Ornate bumblebee catfish (Hyalobagrus ornatus) is a freshwater fish of the family Bagridae that grows up to 3 cm.

Length
3 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Venomous / poisonous

Description

The ornate bumblebee catfish is a small bagrid catfish (Bagridae) from slow-flowing, soft blackwater of Sundaland in Southeast Asia. The species grows to about 4 cm and has a slender, yellow-black banded, semi-translucent body with barbels and an adipose fin. As a shy, nocturnal bottom-dweller it shelters among leaf litter, roots and plants and snaps at small invertebrates and insect larvae. The pectoral and dorsal spines are venomous and can give a painful prick when handled.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Ornate bumblebee catfish?

The Ornate bumblebee catfish has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly yellow-gold and shows a vertical stripes pattern.

Where does the Ornate bumblebee catfish live?

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

How big does the Ornate bumblebee catfish get?

The Ornate bumblebee catfish grows to a maximum of about 3 cm.

Is the Ornate bumblebee catfish dangerous to humans?

The Ornate bumblebee catfish is venomous — handle spines with care and seek medical help after a sting if needed.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Sier-dwergmeerval sourced
English name
Ornate bumblebee catfish sourced
Scientific name
Hyalobagrus ornatus
Family
Bagridae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
3.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Yellow / gold sourced
Pattern
Vertical bars sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Barbels
Yes sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

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

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
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
Venomous / poisonous verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Hyalobagrus

More from the family Bagridae

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