All fish / Bagridae

Asian Upside-down Catfish

Mystus leucophasis

Also known as upside down mystus, black mystus, upside-down catfish, asian upside down catfish, leucophasis catfish, ミスタス・レウコファシス, 倒游鮠

This is a dark slate to black bagrid catfish with long barbels, a tall dorsal fin and a deeply forked tail. It is known for often swimming upside down, much like the African Synodontis, and keepers enjoy it as an unusual, hardy centrepiece for large tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

22 to 27 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Singly or a small group in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: sinking pellets, frozen bloodworm, prawns, earthworms and small fish

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Myanmar (Sittaung and Salween basins)

Breeding

There are no reliable reports of it breeding in home aquariums. Fish in the trade are caught in the wild.

Good to know

It grows big, mostly comes out at night, and will eat any fish small enough to swallow. It can also be quarrelsome with its own kind and with other catfish, so give it plenty of hiding places and a tight-fitting lid.