/plotosidae/neosilurus/ater/1.jpg "Neosilurus ater(1) - Click to enlarge")
/plotosidae/neosilurus/ater/2.jpg "Neosilurus ater(2) - Click to enlarge")
/plotosidae/neosilurus/ater/3.jpg "Neosilurus ater(3) - Click to enlarge")
/plotosidae/neosilurus/ater/4.jpg "Neosilurus ater(4) - Click to enlarge")
/plotosidae/neosilurus/ater/5.jpg "Neosilurus ater(5) - Click to enlarge")
/plotosidae/neosilurus/ater/7.jpg "Neosilurus ater(7) - Click to enlarge")
/plotosidae/neosilurus/ater/9.jpg "Neosilurus ater(9) - Click to enlarge")
/plotosidae/neosilurus/ater/10.jpg "Neosilurus ater(10) - Click to enlarge")
/plotosidae/neosilurus/ater/11.jpg "Neosilurus ater(11) - Click to enlarge")
/plotosidae/neosilurus/ater/12.jpg "Neosilurus ater(12) - Click to enlarge")
 Cat-eLog Data Sheet | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Neosilurus ater (Perugia, 1894) |
| Common Name(s) | Black Catfish, Black Finned Eel Catfish, Butter Jew, Narrow-Fronted Tandan |
| Type Locality | Inawi, Papua, New Guinea. |
| Synonym(s) | Lambertia atra, Neosilurus mediobarbis, Tandanus ater |
| Pronunciation | Nee oh see loo russ - A terr |
| Etymology | The generic name comes from the Latin neo, meaning new and Silurus, a catfish name frequently used to form generic names. The specific epithet means black in Latin, and refers to the blackish colour of this species |
| Species Information | |
| Size | 450mm (17.7") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp. |
| Identification | Distinguished from congeners by its relatively elongate snout. Gray to blackish overall (sometimes mottled), paler on the belly. In some populations, both sexes develop a bright golden-orange hue on the sides during breeding. |
| Habitat Information | |
| Distribution | Northern Australia and central-southern New Guinea. Northern Australia Waters (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) New Guinea Waters, Central New Guinea Waters (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) New Guinea Waters, Southern New Guinea Waters (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) |
| pH | 6.4 - 7.6 |
| Temperature | 20.0-27.0°C or 68-80.6°F (Show others within this range) |
| Husbandry Information | |
| Feeding | Feeds on molluscs, insects and prawns in the wild. Carnivorous but not a fussy eater in the aquarium. Will not eat small fishes. |
| Furniture | Found in rivers and smaller streams, usually where currents are relatively swift. Thus, plenty of swimming space is required. Hiding spaces in the form of PVC pipes and / or driftwood are necessary. |
| Compatibility | A peaceful, solitary species. Can be safely kept with smaller fishes. |
| Breeding | In northern Australia, breeding takes place during December in shallow areas with a good water flow and a sand / gravel substrate. Eggs of about 2 mm in diameter are produced. |
| Further Information | |
| References | Ann. Wien. Mus. Naturges.v. 1 (no. 1) - pp25 Allen, GR, H Midgley & M Allen, 2002. Field guide to the freshwater fishes of Australia. Western Australian Museum, Perth. 394 pp. |
| Registered Keepers | (1) snowball, (2) Jools (k: 3), (3) Albinoblackcatfish, (4) Snowy (k: 6), (5) amiidae, (6) Lenna, (7) MilkMan, (8) milosz. Click on a username above to see all that persons registered catfish species. You can also view all "my cats" data for this species.  Add this species to your "my cats" page. |
| Breeding Reports | None. |
| More Resources |
 - CotM  2007 October -
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| Hits | 16342 hits. |
| Last Update | 2011 Sep 10 05:55 (species record created: 2001 Apr 24 00:00) |
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