PlanetCatfish.com - Mystus vittatus (Bagridae) Cat-eLog

Madras
Female
Male
Stamp
Pair - female above
Sport Colouration
Sport Colouration
Sport Colouration
Pondicherry, India
Short Posterior Fontanel indicated by arrow.

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Mystus vittatus** (Bloch, 1794)
Common Names	Asian Striped Catfish Indian Streifenwels (Germany), Pyjama Striped Catfish, Stribet Malle (Denmark), Striped Dwarf Catfish
Type Locality	Tranquebar [Tharangambadi], India.
Synonym(s)	Aoria vittatus, Bagrus vittatus, Macrones vittatus, Mystus vittatus vittatus, Silurus vittatus
Pronunciation	miss tuss - vee TATT uss
Etymology	The generic name is probably derived from the Latin mystax, meaning moustache, in reference to the long barbels. It was first used by Scopoli in 1777 making it a very old genus that has included many catfishes from throughout the world at one time or another. From the Latin vittatus, meaning decorated with a ribbon; in reference to the striped pattern of the fish.
Species Information
Size	210mm or 8.3" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	Fishes of the genus Mystus Scopoli are small to medium-sized bagrid catfishes occurring in South Asia. Roberts (1994) recognized Mystus to have an elongate cranial fontanel reaching up to the base of the occipital process, long maxillary barbel, very long adipose fin, 11–30 gill rakers on the first gill arch and 37–46 total vertebrae, about equally divided between abdominal and caudal regions. He included only eight species under the genus. Mo (1991) characterized the genus to have a thin needle-like first infraorbital, twisted and thickened metapterygoid loosely attached to the quadrate by means of ligament or a small extent of cartilage. Jayaram & Sanyal (2003) and Ferraris (2007) respectively listed 44 and 33 species of Mystus as valid. Easily distinguished by the presence of 4-5 pale blue to brown longitudinal stripes on the body, the presence of the humeral spot, and a moderately long adipose fin.
Sexing	Males have an elongate genital papilla in front of the anal fin.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Asia: Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and probably Myanmar. Reported from Malaysia, Laos, Bhutan, Viet Nam and Cambodia. May have been confused with other Mystus. Indian waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Pakistan Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Nepal Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Bangladesh Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Sri Lanka Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there) Login to view the map.
IUCN Red List Category	Least Concern , range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2009.
pH	6.0 - 7.4
Temperature	22.0-28.0°C or 71.6-82.4°F (Show species within this range)
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Easily adapts to a wide variety of frozen and prepared food in the aquarium. May eat very small fish. User data.
Furniture	The tank should be furnished with ample driftwood and rocks.
Compatibility	Compatible with most fishes, although very small fishes will be eaten. Ideal tankmates include larger barbs and rasboras in an Asian biotope setup. This species is not overtly territorial, so more than one can be kept together.
Breeding	Not reported in captivity.
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
Further Information
Reference	Naturgeschichte der ausländischen Fische v. 8, pp 50, Pl. 371 (fig. 2).
Registered Keepers	There are 16 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 7 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
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	LFS label creator ARN ref:1.8.14.20
Last Update	2024 Sep 28 08:54 (species record created: 2002 Jan 27 00:00)