Article © Heok Hee Ng, uploaded December 01, 2003.

Over the years, the name “clown catfish” has been generally applied to species with a bold coloration and with highly active disposition. Nowhere is this name more apt than in the subject of this month's article, Gagata cenia.

Unlike most other members of the Sisoridae, Gagata are highly active, schooling fish, but like other sisorids, they require cool, clean, well-oxygenated water, and enjoy the presence of a current very much. There is evidence to suggest that at least two different species of Gagata even form mixed schools in the wild. They are nervous bundles of energy, constantly twitching their fins and dashing about the tank madly at the first sign of stress (because of their schooling nature, individual fish do not fare very well in the aquarium). Consequently, they do not travel well, and newly imported fish sometimes arrive in a weakened state that leaves them prone to infections. Although they can adjust to prepared food, they seem to do much better with a feeding regime consisting of mostly live foods. The reduced jaw teeth and gill rakers of G. cenia seem to support the fact that they are suctorial detritivores, meaning they feed on fine organic matter by vacuuming it off the substrate.

The species of Gagata usually imported in the aquarium trade is G. cenia (from northern India). However, the growing number of fish imported from Myanmar (Burma) means that Burmese species such as G. gasawyuh, and more rarely, G. melanopterus, are beginning to show up in the trade. Gagata gasawyuh can be distinguished from G. cenia in having only four (vs. five) dark saddles on the head and body, and G. melanopterus can be distinguished from G. cenia in lacking any saddles on the head and body and having black pectoral, pelvic and anal fins.

Because of the delicate nature of these fishes, they are not suggested for the beginner. However, once they acclimatize to the aquarium, a school would provide plenty of bottom-feeding activity for a fast-water tank setup.

Thanks go again to Heok Hee Ng for this month's featured catfish, we sign off with a useless piece of trivia - this catfish and last months feature were described within a couple a years of each other (nearly 200 years ago) and were both considered Pimelodus at the time.

Copyright information for the images used in this article can be found on the species' full Cat-eLog page.

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	Gagata cenia  (Hamilton, 1822)
Common Names	Clown Catfish Assam Clownwels (Germany)
Type Locality	Northern Bengal rivers.
Synonym(s)	Pimelodus cenia
Pronunciation	Gah gah tah - keen ee a
Etymology	The generic name comes from the local name of the fish (keyakatta). The specific name also comes from the local name of the fish (sinia).
Articles
Species Information
Size	150mm or 5.9" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	Dorsal with dark saddles extending ventrally only to lateral line. Caudal fin with transverse black bar across peduncle and round or square black spot on middle of each lobe. Dorsal fin with black spot on distal part of anterior rays. Anal fin with 4-5 simple rays, 9-11 branched rays. Upper jaw and 4th ceratobranchial toothless; lower jaw with few conical teeth in pocket or depression near symphysis. Snout tip acutely pointed in lateral view, with tip separated from the rest of the snout by distinct notch.
Sexing	Not known.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Asia: widely distributed in the Ganges basin, the Indus River system, and the Mahanadi River. Reported from Myanmar and the Salwin River (=Salween River) in Thailand. Indian waters, North Eastern India Waters, Padma, Ganges (click on these areas to find other species found there) Pakistan Waters, Indus (click on these areas to find other species found there) Indian waters, Mahanadi (click on these areas to find other species found there) Log in to view data on a map.
IUCN Red List Category	Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2009.
pH	6.0 - 7.0
Temperature	18.0-25.0°C or 64.4-77°F (Show species within this range)
Other Parameters	Requires well oxygenated water.
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Readily feeds on most foods, but live or frozen food is preferred. User data.
Furniture	A sandy/gravel bottom and enough rocks/driftwood to partially deflect the current and for the fish to hide in.
Compatibility	A peaceful, shoaling species that should be kept in a group of at least 4. Best kept in a well-oxygenated tank, preferably with some current. Ideal tankmates include balitorine loaches such as Homaloptera, fast-swimming cyprinids such as Danio or Barilius, and smaller mastacembelids.
Suggested Tankmates	Ideal tankmates include balitorine loaches such as Homaloptera, fast-swimming cyprinids such as Danio or Barilius , and smaller mastacembelids.
Breeding	Not reported.
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
Further Information
Reference	An account of the fishes found in the river Ganges, pp 174, Pl. 31 (fig. 57).
Registered Keepers	There are 5 registered keepers, view all "my cats" data.
Wishlists	Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list. There are 2 wishes to keep this species, see who wants what.
Spotters	Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There are 6 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
Forum BBCode
	Search for G. cenia
	Look up G. cenia on AquaticRepublic.com
	Look up G. cenia on Fishbase
	Look up G. cenia on Encyclopedia of Life
	Look up G. cenia on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
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Last Update	2020 Dec 12 06:56 (species record created: 2003 Dec 01 11:22)

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