In the month where I've been talking a lot about how Planet Catfish is planning for the road ahead, it seems only right for Heok Hee Ng to bring the Highway Catfish to our attentions in his article on this months featured species.

Most catfishes from temperate climes have usually a dull combination of browns or grays that make them somewhat unattractive (at least in color) to the average aquarist. Now, of course, due to my being a catfish aficionado, I contend that their character make up for this lack of chromatic appeal, but I digress. Imagine my surprise when I was shown a photograph of this attractive little catfish from southern China in 2004 by my friend and fellow fish nut Zhou Hang. OK, I wasn't really that surprised, since the species was described in the late 1970s and I had previously seen a photograph of the live fish on the Internet. Still, it was exciting to see more pictures and I showed them to some of the participants at the First All Aquarium Catfish Convention in Laurel, Maryland in October 2004. Erica Linder (Shane's lovely wife) promptly coined the name "highway catfish" for this fish and it's easy to see why, as the attractive pattern of stripes and dots are strongly reminiscent of road markings.

The fish remained an elusive dream until I was able to acquire some. Though they were not cheap, I have not regretted their purchase. The highway catfish is highly suited for a community tank, since they are peaceful (even among themselves) species that remain fairly small. Since they originate from hill streams, it goes without saying that they are best kept at lower temperatures. Like almost any other bagrid, they are unfussy eaters and will eat a large variety of live, frozen and prepared foods (when they shyly venture forth at feeding time). I found mine to particularly like wedging themselves in a head-up stance amongst either driftwood or thick clumps of java moss during the day (they appear to shun cave-like shelters, in which many other catfishes will gladly wedge themselves into).

Although there are many interesting freshwater fishes in China (particularly in the south), few of them have made it to the aquarium trade until recent years, when the trade in native Chinese freshwater fishes appeared to have increased by giant leaps. The highway catfish is still rare in the trade, but it's hopefully a sign of better things to come for this group of under-appreciated but very interesting (chromatically or otherwise) group of freshwater fishes.

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