Heteropneustes fossilis

74ray · Post by **74ray** » 07 May 2003, 19:58

Has breeding these fish been done before? I have a school of 6 of them ranging from 4-7" right now. Also how do you sex them?

Post by **Silurus** » 07 May 2003, 20:02

They have been bred naturally just by leaving them in ponds and also by hormone injections (there's a ton of literature out there on the latter method). Not sure if they've been bred in aquaria.
Males are more slender.

74ray · Post by **74ray** » 07 May 2003, 20:16

Also what size do they sexually mature at?

Post by **Silurus** » 07 May 2003, 20:22

Sexual maturity is reached after their first year, by which time the males are usually about 5.5 cm and the females, about 12 cm.

Post by **Dinyar** » 08 May 2003, 02:50

I seem to recall reading (Baensch?) that they HAVE been bred in the aquarium. They are a common and inexpensive food fish in countries like India, where they are bred in large quantities, as Silurus says, both naturally and by hormone injection.

Dinyar

Post by **Silurus** » 08 May 2003, 03:32

Baensch reports this species as being bred, probably based on info in the article:
M Lammel, 1992. <i>Heteropneustes fossilis</i>, ein interessanter Kiemenschlauchwels. DATZ 45: 364-365.
Another paper that may be of interest:
MP Singh Kohli & UC Goswami, 1987. Spawning behaviour of a freshwater air-breathing Indian catfish <i>Heteropneustes fossilis</i> (Bloch). Matsya 12-13: 180-183.