Asian bumblebee catfish

The Asian bumblebee catfish is a small, stocky catfish from the lower Mekong and Chao Phraya basins of Southeast Asia, named for the bands of black and pale yellow that wrap around its body. It stays manageable at roughly 15 to 18 cm and is a hardy, genuinely long-lived fish, but it is far more of a predator than its cute markings suggest. It spends the daylight hours hidden in caves, wood or dense planting and comes out to hunt after dark.

This hunting instinct shapes everything about stocking it. A bumblebee catfish will eat any tankmate small enough to fit in its mouth, so small fish, fry and shrimp are simply prey. It is best kept with robust, mid-water or surface species too large to swallow, like bigger barbs, characins and peaceful cichlids. It is also territorial toward other bottom-dwellers, especially its own kind, so a single specimen with plenty of caves and broken sight lines is the easiest way to keep the peace.

In terms of water it is undemanding, doing well in soft, slightly acidic conditions around 22 to 26°C with a pH up to about 7.5. The main thing it needs is structure: dim lighting and several secure hiding places so it feels safe enough to be active. Feed meaty sinking foods such as frozen prawn, mussel, earthworm or sinking pellets in the evening when it is naturally looking for food, and it will settle in as a long-term resident.