Ompok bimaculatus • Siluridae • Cat-eLog

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Ompok bimaculatus** (Bloch, 1794)
Common Name(s)	Two Spot Glass Catfish
Type Locality	Tranquebar (now Tarangambadi, Tamil Nadu)
Synonym(s)	Callichrous bimaculatus, Callichrous chechra, Callichrous gangeticus, Callichrous macrophthalmus, Callichrus affinis, Callichrus nebulosus, Ompok siluroides, Phalacronotus siluroides, Pseudosilurus bimaculatus, Silurus bimaculatus, Silurus chechra, Silurus duda, Silurus microcephalus, Silurus mysoricus, Wallago microcephalus
Pronunciation	Awm pok
Etymology	The etymology of Ompok is unclear. It is believed to be a corruption of the Indonesian name for mid-sized silurid catfishes, limpok. The specific epithet comes from the Latin bis meaning two, and macula, meaning spot; in reference to the presence of two dark spots in this species.
Species Information
Size	450mm (17.7") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	The catfish genus Ompok La Cepède, 1803, consists of medium-sized silurid fishes found in inland waters throughout South and Southeast Asia. The genus is traditionally diagnosed by the presence of a short dorsal fin with 4 rays, strongly forked caudal fin, subcutaneous eye that is set immediately posterior to the mouth rictus and two patches of palatal teeth (Weber & de Beaufort, 1913). Bornbusch (1995) showed that Ompok, as currently understood, is probably paraphyletic. The two spots are found above and behind the pectoral-fin base and the other at the base of the caudal peduncle. The fish often idebntified as O. bimaculatus (and most commonly encountered in the aquarium trade) is a Southeast Asian species, Ompok siluroides which has a rounder head and a mottled brown colouration, while O. bimaculatus are silvery and have a sharper head.
Sexing	Males are more slender and have strong serrations on the posterior edge of the pectoral spine (females lack these serrations).
Habitat Information
Distribution	Indian subcontinent. Thailand Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Cambodia waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Pacific, Malaysia Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Indian waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Bangladesh Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Pacific, Greater Sunda Island Rivers, Borneo Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) (Click the map-icon to show/hide map of species distribution)
pH	6.4 - 7.4
Temperature	20.0-26.0°C or 68-78.8°F (Show others within this range)
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Readily feeds on live/frozen foods and other prepared foods such as pellets. Will also eat small fishes/shrimps.
Furniture	Provide plenty of hiding spaces in the form of driftwood or PVC pipes. Prefers an area of open water when active. Current preferred.
Compatibility	A relatively peaceful species that is compatible with most fish of equal size or larger. Not safe with small fishes.
Breeding	Not known in the aquarium. Has been bred using hormone injections in India.
Further Information
References	Naturg. Ausl. Fischev. 8 - pp24 - Pl. 364 Jayaram, KC. 2006. The Catfishes of India. Narendera Pub. House. 383 pp. Jayaram, KC, 1977. Year of publication and type-locality of Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch) (Pisces: Siluroidea). Newsletter of the Zoological Survey of India, 3: 50-51. Burgess, W.E. 1989. An Atlas of Freshwater and Marine Catfishes; A Preliminary Survey of the Siluriformes. TFH. 784pp.
Registered Keepers	(1) Silurus, (2) straitjacketstar (k: 4), (3) yellowcat, who also notes: "No longer kept...", (4) Attu, (5) Jeox, (6) Koltsix, (7) Ebisu, (8) miles44 (k: 4), (9) Shovelnose, (10) SoCalDiscus. Click on a username above to see all that persons registered catfish species. You can also view all "my cats" data for this species.
Breeding Reports	None.
Articles	- CotM 2005 November
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Last Update	2013 Feb 20 10:59 (species record created: 2005 Apr 17 00:00)

Cat-eLog Data Sheet

Scientific Name

Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch, 1794)

Common Name(s)

Two Spot Glass Catfish

Type Locality

Tranquebar (now Tarangambadi, Tamil Nadu)

Synonym(s)

Callichrous bimaculatus, Callichrous chechra, Callichrous gangeticus, Callichrous macrophthalmus, Callichrus affinis, Callichrus nebulosus, Ompok siluroides, Phalacronotus siluroides, Pseudosilurus bimaculatus, Silurus bimaculatus, Silurus chechra, Silurus duda, Silurus microcephalus, Silurus mysoricus, Wallago microcephalus

Pronunciation

Awm pok

Etymology

The etymology of Ompok is unclear. It is believed to be a corruption of the Indonesian name for mid-sized silurid catfishes, limpok. The specific epithet comes from the Latin bis meaning two, and macula, meaning spot; in reference to the presence of two dark spots in this species.

Species Information

Size

450mm (17.7") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.

Identification

The catfish genus Ompok La Cepède, 1803, consists of medium-sized silurid fishes found in inland waters throughout South and Southeast Asia. The genus is traditionally diagnosed by the presence of a short dorsal fin with 4 rays, strongly forked caudal fin, subcutaneous eye that is set immediately posterior to the mouth rictus and two patches of palatal teeth (Weber & de Beaufort, 1913). Bornbusch (1995) showed that Ompok, as currently understood, is probably paraphyletic.

The two spots are found above and behind the pectoral-fin base and the other at the base of the caudal peduncle. The fish often idebntified as O. bimaculatus (and most commonly encountered in the aquarium trade) is a Southeast Asian species, Ompok siluroides which has a rounder head and a mottled brown colouration, while O. bimaculatus are silvery and have a sharper head.

Sexing

Males are more slender and have strong serrations on the posterior edge of the pectoral spine (females lack these serrations).

Habitat Information

Distribution

Indian subcontinent.
Thailand Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Cambodia waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Pacific, Malaysia Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Indian waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Bangladesh Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Pacific, Greater Sunda Island Rivers, Borneo Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)

(Click the map-icon to show/hide map of species distribution)

6.4 - 7.4

Temperature

20.0-26.0°C or 68-78.8°F (Show others within this range)

Husbandry Information

Feeding

Readily feeds on live/frozen foods and other prepared foods such as pellets. Will also eat small fishes/shrimps.

Furniture

Provide plenty of hiding spaces in the form of driftwood or PVC pipes. Prefers an area of open water when active. Current preferred.

Compatibility

A relatively peaceful species that is compatible with most fish of equal size or larger. Not safe with small fishes.

Breeding

Not known in the aquarium. Has been bred using hormone injections in India.

Further Information

References

Naturg. Ausl. Fischev. 8 - pp24 - Pl. 364
Jayaram, KC. 2006. The Catfishes of India. Narendera Pub. House. 383 pp.
Jayaram, KC, 1977. Year of publication and type-locality of Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch) (Pisces: Siluroidea). Newsletter of the Zoological Survey of India, 3: 50-51.
Burgess, W.E. 1989. An Atlas of Freshwater and Marine Catfishes; A Preliminary Survey of the Siluriformes. TFH. 784pp.

Registered Keepers

(1) Silurus, (2) straitjacketstar (k: 4), (3) yellowcat, who also notes: "No longer kept...", (4) Attu, (5) Jeox, (6) Koltsix, (7) Ebisu, (8) miles44 (k: 4), (9) Shovelnose, (10) SoCalDiscus.

Click on a username above to see all that persons registered catfish species. You can also view all "my cats" data for this species.

Breeding Reports

None.

Articles