All fish / Bagridae

Asian Red Tail Catfish

Hemibagrus wyckioides

Also known as asian redtail catfish, asian red-tailed catfish, red tail bagrid, chao phraya giant catfish, mystus wyckioides, red tail mystus, asian redtail, hemibagrus redtail, ปลากดคัง, ปลากดหางแดง, baung ekor merah, レッドテール・バグリッド

A large, heavily built bagrid catfish with a grey to brown body, long barbels and a bright red tail fin. It is kept by enthusiasts of monster fish for its striking colours and bold, interactive character, and it is also an important food fish in Thailand.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

60 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.8

Smallest tank

2000 litres

Keep as

Single specimen; very intolerant of its own kind

Diet

Carnivore: fish fillet, prawns, mussels, earthworms and large sinking carnivore pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 20 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Mekong and Chao Phraya basins (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam)

Breeding

In the wild it digs nests in the riverbed and the parents guard the eggs and fry. It has been bred in Thai aquaculture with hormone induction, but spawning in home aquariums is not recorded.

Good to know

Reaches 80 cm or more and will eat any fish it can swallow, so it needs a very large tank or indoor pond and robust tankmates. Juveniles are sold small and are often confused with the South American redtail catfish, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus.