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Twospot catfish (Mystus bimaculatus) — Bagridae

Twospot catfish

Mystus bimaculatus
Family: Bagridae

The Twospot catfish (Mystus bimaculatus) is a freshwater fish of the family Bagridae that grows up to 7 cm.

Length
6.7 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Venomous / poisonous

Description

The Twospot catfish is a bagrid catfish (Bagridae) from fresh water of Sundaland in Southeast Asia. The species grows to about 15 cm and has an elongate, grey-brown body with long barbels, an adipose fin and stout, serrated spines in the dorsal and pectoral fins. As a nocturnal bottom predator it searches rivers and pools for insect larvae, worms, crustaceans and small fish. The fin spines carry a mild venom and can give a painful puncture wound.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Twospot catfish?

The Twospot catfish has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly brown.

Where does the Twospot catfish live?

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

How big does the Twospot catfish get?

The Twospot catfish grows to a maximum of about 7 cm.

Is the Twospot catfish dangerous to humans?

The Twospot 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
Tweevlek-stekelmeerval sourced
English name
Twospot catfish sourced
Scientific name
Mystus bimaculatus
Family
Bagridae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
6.7 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown 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 Mystus

More from the family Bagridae

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