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Jerdon's mystus (Mystus malabaricus) — Bagridae

Jerdon's mystus

Mystus malabaricus
Family: Bagridae

The Jerdon's mystus (Mystus malabaricus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Bagridae that grows up to 15 cm.

Length
15 cm
Water
Brackish
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

Jerdon's mystus is a bagrid catfish (Bagridae) from fresh and brackish water of southwestern India. The species grows to about 15 cm and has a streamlined body with an adipose fin and four pairs of long barbels. As a nocturnal bottom-dweller it searches rivers and estuaries for insect larvae, small crustaceans and small fish. It is a food fish. The fish is harmless to humans, though the fin spines can prick.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Jerdon's mystus?

The Jerdon's mystus has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Jerdon's mystus live?

The Jerdon's mystus lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Jerdon's mystus get?

The Jerdon's mystus grows to a maximum of about 15 cm.

Is the Jerdon's mystus dangerous to humans?

No, the Jerdon's mystus is harmless to humans.

Is the Jerdon's mystus edible?

Yes, the Jerdon's mystus is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Malabar-katmeerval sourced
English name
Jerdon's mystus sourced
Scientific name
Mystus malabaricus
Family
Bagridae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
15.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Barbels
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish 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

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
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

Same genus Mystus

More from the family Bagridae

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