This week we will take a look at the Glass Catfish (Kryptopterus vitreolus).
This species of Asian glass catfish is endemic to peninsular and southeastern Thailand where it is found living in tinted, slow-moving or still, waters that are slightly acidic. They have been misidentified for decades and only recently were differentiated from a few other similar species. Unfortunately the trade generally relies on wild-caught specimens, and there are concerns that this may be unsustainable due to the volume and its limited range. Unlike many other aquarium fish, it is not known to be bred commercially.
These small catfish are free-swimming rather than benthic and prefer to school in large groups. They have long barbels, transparent flesh with a slightly iridescent skin, and only reach a length of about 3 inches (8cm). It was also discovered that glass catfish have the ability to detect electromagnetic fields. In the aquarium they require other peaceful tankmates and should be given plenty of shaded areas to hide such as below floating logs and plants. They are slightly picky eaters that prefer live microfauna like daphnia, bloodworms, insect larvae, and even baby fish.