Care
The Black Upside-down Catfish is known only from the Irrawaddy and Sittaung River basins in Myanmar, where it grows large enough to be a popular food fish.
This is a true inverting catfish which requires a spacious aquarium with a soft sand substrate. There should be plenty of hiding places/visual barriers amongst driftwood, rocky caves, PVC pipes/flowerpots, and robust planting. The more hiding places that are provided, the more the catfish is likely to venture out and about, as it will get to know it has safe places to quickly retreat to if it feels the need. Dim lighting is preferred, but this can be brighter if it is diffused with broad leaved plants or floating vegetation. A blue moon light timed to come on just before the main lights switch off will provide you with time in the evening to watch the nocturnal antics of this catfish under its preferred subdued conditions. Filtration should be efficient, with areas of moderate water movement along with some quieter resting spots out of the current. Ensure that heaters are covered with heater guards to prevent the catfish from being burned when looking for dark crevices to rest against. Although youngsters shoal, this is a rather territorial and boisterous species which is best maintained singly. Tankmates should be chosen with care, as small fish will be eaten. Good companions could include medium-large sized barbs, and sizeable shoals of them may actually help to encourage the catfish out into view a little more. Many large cichlids and Loricariids (suckermouth catfish) can be housed safely alongside this species too. Mature specimens often develop a scattering of light coloured, diamond-like scales on the flanks.
May also be seen on sale as Asian Upside-down Catfish.
Feeding
Offer a varied diet consisting of good quality sinking catfish pellets/granules, frozen foods such as bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, Mysis etc, as well as some vegetable matter.
Breeding
This species has not been bred in the home aquarium but is farmed commercially for the table.
