All fish / Plotosidae

Black Catfish

Neosilurus ater

Also known as narrow-fronted tandan, black tandan, butter jew, black eeltail catfish

A dark grey to black eel-tailed catfish with a long tapering body, four pairs of barbels and a continuous tail fin joined to the anal fin. Specialist keepers of Australian native fish keep it for its unusual shape and active night-time foraging.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

22 to 30 °C

pH

6.5 to 8

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a small group in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: insect larvae, shrimp, worms, sinking pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Northern Australia and southern New Guinea

Breeding

In the wild it migrates upstream in the wet season and scatters eggs over gravel without parental care. Captive breeding is rarely reported and would be difficult.

Good to know

Grows to 30 cm or more and needs a big, well-filtered tank; like other plotosids it has venomous fin spines, so handle with care. Small tankmates may be eaten.