Arius graeffei

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Lesser Salmon Catfish
Lesser Salmon Catfish
Species	Arius graeffei
Difficulty	Challenging
Min. Tank Size	946.353 liters 946,352.945 mL 250 US Gallons (946.4L)
Size	50.8 cm 18-20 " (45.7-50.8cm)
pH	6.4 - 8.0
Temp.	290.15 K 62.6 °F 522.27 °R 300.15 K 80.6 °F 540.27 °R17 -27 °C (62.6-80.6°F)
Water Hardness	6-16
Stocking Ratio	1:2 M:F
Availability	Rare
Diet	Omnivore Pellet Foods Flake Foods Live Foods
Life Span	5-12 years

[edit] Alternative names

Lesser Salmon Catfish, Australian Shark Catfish, Blue Catfish, Fork-tailed Catfish

[edit] Other Scientific Names

Neoarius graeffei, Arius australis, Arius curtisii

[edit] Sexing

Females have longer, more rounded pelvic fins than males.

[edit] Tank compatibility

Should only be kept with similar sized fish or larger, smaller fish may be seen as prey. Good tankmates are Mullets (Mugil sp.) Scats (Scatophagus argus and other species, and Selenotoca multifasciata) and Monos (Monodactylus argenteus and Monodactylus sebae), but they enjoy conspecific company and are best kept in a small group of 4 - 6 in a large species tank.

[edit] Diet

Will accept most foods including good quality pellet and flake as well as live/frozen food such as bloodworm. Fresh chunks of meat, fish and prawns are good but live food is even better. Some specimens are too slow to catch live prey.

[edit] Feeding regime

Feed once or twice a day.

[edit] Environment Specifics

Lives in brackish waters in Australia, best kept in brackish conditions with bogwood and rock decor with hiding places provided.

[edit] Behaviour

Active. Fairly peaceful and does not bother tankmates, provided the latter are larger than the catfish's mouth.

[edit] Identification

Has an elongate shark-like body with a forked caudal and tall dorsal fin. Similar to Arius berneyi but the eyes are smaller and the dorsal is slightly shorter. The colour is generally a deep grey-silver with a pale underside, the barbels are also lighter in colour. The caudal fin is edged in black. Piebald and albino variations have been seen.

[edit] Pictures

[edit] External links

• Fishbase
• Planet Catfish