Bagrichthys macracanthus • Bagridae • Cat-eLog • PlanetCatfish

Adult female
Adult female
Close-up of mouth
Close-up of head
Juvenile
Artwork by Ian Fuller - buy here
Male showing genital papillae
Juvenile showing blotchy stress colouration
Close-up of caudal area
Overexposed to show near invisible banding pattern
Adult female
Male showing genital papillae (white)
Male showing genital papillae (white)
Male
Dorsal view of adult female
Juvenile showing blotchy stress colouration

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Bagrichthys macracanthus** (Bleeker, 1854)
Common Name(s)	Black Lancer
Type Locality	East Sumatra, at the confluence of Lamatang and Enim rivers, Indonesia.
Synonym(s)	Bagroides macracanthus
Pronunciation	bag RICK thiss - mak rah KAN thuss
Etymology	Bagrichthys: From bagrus, the name of a catfish genus frequently used to form generic names, and the Greek ichthys, meaning fish.
Species Information
Size	230mm (9.1") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	The other three species of Bagrichthys do not match the fish pictured here. B. hypselopterus from Sumatra and Borneo grows too large (TL 400mm = 16'') and even at a smaller size (TL 234mm = 9'') has a much steeper predorsal profile. The ''lance'' dorsal fin is long enough to reach the base of the caudal fin and exhibits a flowing extension. If the fish pictured here grew larger (and taking into account the change of the fishes shape from juvenile to that pictured here) I would fully accept that this is our fish, but it appears to have stopped developing at its current size. B. macropterus and B. micranodus share a tan and cream colouration and lack such a striking dorsal fin, although the latter displays the characteristic chalk-line.
Sexing	Males genital papillae is visible. Pictures in various hobbyist books appear to show this even on quite young fish. Females do not have this feature.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Sundaland, Thailand Greater Sunda Island Rivers (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) Thailand Waters, Peninsular Thailand Waters (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
pH	5.5 - 7.0
Temperature	24.0-28.0°C or 75.2-82.4°F (Show others within this range)
Other Parameters	No more than a gentle current.
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Readily accepts prepared foods. Frozen brineshrimp appears to produce the most activity from the fish and frozen bloodworm is also relished.
Furniture	The fish loves tangles of plants which it carefully inspects for morsels of food after lights out. A suitably sized pipe or cave is required for this fish as it can quite easily damage itself in panic if this is not provided and easily entered and left by the fish. Heater elements should be guarded or positioned so that they are not used for refuge - this fish is prone to heater burns.
Compatibility	A timid fish that does well in a sizeable aquarium inhabited by smaller fish. Although a night-time prowler, even small fish are safe enough.
Suggested Tankmates	Shoals of barbs and rasboras are ideal and their ceaseless activity counters this fishes extreme shyness. The presence of larger shoals of fish appears to give the black lancer more confidence than it would have in, for example, a catfish only aquarium. In addition, the other fishes increased activity at feeding time often prompts the lancer to leave its lair in the quest for food. Adult lancers require a lot of room if to be kept together. I have a pair that lightly quarrel (nipped fins, the odd scratch) in a 48''x30''x30'' aquarium!
Breeding	Unknown.
Further Information
References	Natuurkd. Tijdschr. Neder. Indiëv. 7 - pp88
Registered Keepers	(1) Jools (k: 2), who also notes: "The male was four years younger.", (2) Hephaestus, (3) Silurus, (4) Attu, (5) synoguy, (6) H-TRAIN, (7) Suckermouth, (8) Barbie, (9) invaderwithkey, (10) Jeox (p: 2), (11) Dinyar, (12) Altifrons, (13) jprp, (14) chemma, (15) Junttis (k: 3), (16) markhinch, (17) cory777 (k: 2), (18) MatsP (p: 2, k: 4), (19) zigster, (20) norm145, (21) Richard B (k: 2), (22) Margie. 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 2001 January - Search Planet Catfish for more on Bagrichthys macracanthus - BBcode (for use in linking to this page from forum posts) - Look up Bagrichthys macracanthus on AquaticRepublic.com - Look up Bagrichthys macracanthus on Fishbase, I.T.I.S. or ispecies search. - URL (for use in linking to the species from anywhere on the web)
Hits	25019 hits.
Last Update	2006 Jun 07 00:00 (species record created: 2001 Apr 13 00:00)

Cat-eLog Data Sheet

Scientific Name

Bagrichthys macracanthus (Bleeker, 1854)

Common Name(s)

Black Lancer

Type Locality

East Sumatra, at the confluence of Lamatang and Enim rivers, Indonesia.

Synonym(s)

Bagroides macracanthus

Pronunciation

bag RICK thiss - mak rah KAN thuss

Etymology

Bagrichthys: From bagrus, the name of a catfish genus frequently used to form generic names, and the Greek ichthys, meaning fish.

Species Information

Size

230mm (9.1") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.

Identification

The other three species of Bagrichthys do not match the fish pictured here. B. hypselopterus from Sumatra and Borneo grows too large (TL 400mm = 16'') and even at a smaller size (TL 234mm = 9'') has a much steeper predorsal profile. The ''lance'' dorsal fin is long enough to reach the base of the caudal fin and exhibits a flowing extension. If the fish pictured here grew larger (and taking into account the change of the fishes shape from juvenile to that pictured here) I would fully accept that this is our fish, but it appears to have stopped developing at its current size. B. macropterus and B. micranodus share a tan and cream colouration and lack such a striking dorsal fin, although the latter displays the characteristic chalk-line.

Sexing

Males genital papillae is visible. Pictures in various hobbyist books appear to show this even on quite young fish. Females do not have this feature.

Habitat Information

Distribution

Sundaland, Thailand
Greater Sunda Island Rivers (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
Thailand Waters, Peninsular Thailand Waters (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)

5.5 - 7.0

Temperature

24.0-28.0°C or 75.2-82.4°F (Show others within this range)

Other Parameters

No more than a gentle current.

Husbandry Information

Feeding

Readily accepts prepared foods. Frozen brineshrimp appears to produce the most activity from the fish and frozen bloodworm is also relished.

Furniture

The fish loves tangles of plants which it carefully inspects for morsels of food after lights out. A suitably sized pipe or cave is required for this fish as it can quite easily damage itself in panic if this is not provided and easily entered and left by the fish. Heater elements should be guarded or positioned so that they are not used for refuge - this fish is prone to heater burns.

Compatibility

A timid fish that does well in a sizeable aquarium inhabited by smaller fish. Although a night-time prowler, even small fish are safe enough.

Suggested Tankmates

Shoals of barbs and rasboras are ideal and their ceaseless activity counters this fishes extreme shyness. The presence of larger shoals of fish appears to give the black lancer more confidence than it would have in, for example, a catfish only aquarium. In addition, the other fishes increased activity at feeding time often prompts the lancer to leave its lair in the quest for food. Adult lancers require a lot of room if to be kept together. I have a pair that lightly quarrel (nipped fins, the odd scratch) in a 48''x30''x30'' aquarium!

Breeding

Unknown.

Further Information

References

Natuurkd. Tijdschr. Neder. Indiëv. 7 - pp88

Registered Keepers

(1) Jools (k: 2), who also notes: "The male was four years younger.", (2) Hephaestus, (3) Silurus, (4) Attu, (5) synoguy, (6) H-TRAIN, (7) Suckermouth, (8) Barbie, (9) invaderwithkey, (10) Jeox (p: 2), (11) Dinyar, (12) Altifrons, (13) jprp, (14) chemma, (15) Junttis (k: 3), (16) markhinch, (17) cory777 (k: 2), (18) MatsP (p: 2, k: 4), (19) zigster, (20) norm145, (21) Richard B (k: 2), (22) Margie.

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 species list

Add this species to your "my cats" page.

Breeding Reports

None.

More Resources

- CotM

2001

January

- Search Planet Catfish for more on Bagrichthys macracanthus
Link

- BBcode (for use in linking to this page from forum posts)
Look up AquaticRepublic.com

- Look up Bagrichthys macracanthus on AquaticRepublic.com
Look up Fishbase

- Look up Bagrichthys macracanthus on Fishbase, I.T.I.S. or ispecies search.
Link

- URL (for use in linking to the species from anywhere on the web)

Hits

25019 hits.

Last Update

2006 Jun 07 00:00 (species record created: 2001 Apr 13 00:00)

Length Convertor (Hide)
Value	From	To	Result

Temperature Convertor (Hide)
Value	From	To	Result

Volume Convertor (Hide)
Value	From	To	Result

Who is online