Summary
Hemibagrus wyckii is a species of catfish (order Siluriformes) of the family Bagridae. It is occasionally called the crystal-eyed catfish[1] or black devil catfish.[citation needed]
| Crystal-eyed catfish | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Bagridae |
| Genus: | Hemibagrus |
| Species: | H. wyckii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hemibagrus wyckii (Bleeker, 1858)
| |
| Synonyms | |
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Distribution edit
This species originates in Asia from Thailand to Indonesia.[2] It is known from the Mekong[3] and Chao Phraya[3] drainages in central Indochina. It is also known from the Batang Hari[3] and Musi River[3] drainages in Sumatra, the Pahang River[3] and Perak River[citation needed] drainage in Peninsular Malaysia, the Citarum[3] drainage in Java, and the Baram,[3] Rejang,[3] Kapuas,[3] and Barito River[3] drainages in Borneo.
Appearance and anatomy edit
Hemibagrus wyckii are black with a few white markings on the caudal and dorsal fins, and the eyes are sky blue.[4] They reach about 71 centimetres (28 in) SL.[2] The head is extremely depressed and broad. The caudal fin is dark grey. The dorsal fin spine has 10–12 serrations on the posterior edge.[3]
Hemibagrus wyckii bears a resemblance to H. wyckioides, however H. wyckioides lacks serrations on the dorsal fin spine, has a shorter dorsal fin base, and shorter maxillary barbels.[3]
Ecology edit
Hemibagrus wyckii appears to be restricted in the middle reaches of the large rivers it inhabits.[2] This species feeds on insects, prawns and fishes.[2] These fish are aggressive and can attack animals of their own size; they have been claimed to be the "only freshwater fish unafraid of man".[1][4]
Relationship to humans edit
This fish is marketed fresh as a food fish.[2] Hemibagrus are aquacultured in Asian countries.[4]
Hemibagrus wyckii and Hemibagrus wyckioides are the two members of this genus imported as aquarium fish.[4] These fish will bite and can damage objects in the aquarium.[1] Due to both its aggressive and its predatory nature, this species should be kept alone.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d "PlanetCatfish::Catfish of the Month::December 2002". 2006-08-10. Retrieved 2007-05-18.
- ^ a b c d e Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2007). "Hemibagrus wyckii" in FishBase. May 2007 version.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Ng, Heok Hee; Rainboth, Walter J. (1999). "The Bagrid Catfish Genus Hemibagrus (Teleostei: Siluriformes) in Central Indochina with a New Species from the Mekong River" (PDF). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 47 (2): 555–576. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-01-18.
- ^ a b c d Linder, R. Shane (June 2000). "The Catfishes of Asia Family Bagridae part two" (PDF). Cat Chat. 1 (2). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-08-20.