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Arius graeffei
From The Aquarium Wiki
(Redirected from Australian Shark Catfish)
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| Lesser Salmon Catfish | |
| |
| Lesser Salmon Catfish | |
| Species | Arius graeffei |
| Family | Ariidae |
| 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) |
| sg | 1.005 - 1.020 |
| pH | 6.4 - 8.0 |
| Temp. | 290.15 K 62.6 °F 522.27 °R 300.15 K |
| Water Hardness |
6-16 °d |
| Stocking Ratio | 1:2 M:F |
| Availability | Rare |
| Diet | |
| Life Span |
5-12 years |
| Habitat | |
Contents |
[edit] Alternative names
- Lesser Salmon Catfish, Australian Shark Catfish, Blue Catfish, Fork-tailed Catfish, Blue Salmon Catfish
[edit] Synonyms
- Neoarius graeffei, Arius australis, Arius curtisii, Ariopsis graeffei
[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 tank mates 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 décor with hiding places provided.
[edit] Behaviour
- Active. Fairly peaceful and does not bother tank mates, 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.
