All fish / Sisoridae

Dwarf Goonch Catfish

Bagarius lica

Also known as goonch, dwarf goonch, goonch catfish, devil catfish, giant devil catfish, bagarius, lica goonch, ปลาแค้ฮ่อ, ปลาแค้, ikan kenderap, バガリウス・リカ, 魔鬼鲶

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This is the smallest Bagarius, a flattened, sandy brown catfish with dark saddles, long fin filaments and a deeply forked tail. It lives among rocks in fast rivers and is kept by enthusiasts of unusual predatory riverine catfish.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

800 litres

Keep as

Singly, or with large robust tankmates

Diet

Carnivore: whole fish, prawns, earthworms, mussel and sinking carnivore pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Mekong, Chao Phraya and Mae Klong basins and Malay Peninsula (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia)

Breeding

It has not been bred in home aquariums; wild fish spawn seasonally in flowing rivers and all trade stock is wild caught.

Good to know

Often confused with the much larger Bagarius yarrelli and B. bagarius, so check identification before buying. It needs strong flow, high oxygen and a very large tank, and it will eat any fish it can swallow.