All FishesBagridaeMystus  |  | 

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Scientific Name Mystus gulio  (Hamilton, 1822)
Common Names Long Whiskers Catfish
Langskægget Pigmalle (Denmark)
Type Locality Higher parts of Gangetic estuaries.
Synonym(s) Aspidobagrus gulio, Bagrus albilabrus, Bagrus gulio, Macrones gulio, Pimelodus gulio, Pseudobagrus gulio
Pronunciation miss tuss - goo LEE oh
Etymology The generic name is probably derived from the Latin mystax, meaning moustache, in reference to the long barbels. It was first used by Scopoli in 1777 making it a very old genus that has included many catfishes from throughout the world at one time or another. From the local (Bengali) name of the fish (guli).
Hop to next section Species Information
Size 460mm or 18.1" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification Fishes of the genus Mystus Scopoli are small to medium-sized bagrid catfishes occurring in South Asia. Roberts (1994) recognized Mystus to have an elongate cranial fontanel reaching up to the base of the occipital process, long maxillary barbel, very long adipose fin, 11–30 gill rakers on the first gill arch and 37–46 total vertebrae, about equally divided between abdominal and caudal regions. He included only eight species under the genus. Mo (1991) characterized the genus to have a thin needle-like first infraorbital, twisted and thickened metapterygoid loosely attached to the quadrate by means of ligament or a small extent of cartilage. Jayaram & Sanyal (2003) and Ferraris (2007) respectively listed 44 and 33 species of Mystus as valid.

Easily characterized by its dull-colored body and very short adipose fin.
There are several species currently identified as M. gulio: the true M. gulio is an Indian species that grows much larger than those from Southeast Asia, and is a more greenish (vs. grayish) color.
Sexing Males have an elongate genital papilla in front of the anal fin.
General Remarks Primarily a brackish water fish that enters and lives in fresh water. In freshwater, it occurs mainly in larger water bodies (rivers and streams) with mud or clay substrates, and rarely found in smaller streams.
Hop to next section Habitat Information
Distribution Asia: countries bordering the eastern Indian Ocean, from India to Indonesia and Viet Nam. Reported from Pakistan.
Indian waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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IUCN Red List Category Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2019.
pH 6.0 - 7.8
Temperature 20.0-27.0°C or 68-80.6°F (Show species within this range)
Other Parameters Prefers brackish water.
Hop to next section Husbandry Information
Feeding Easily adapts to a wide variety of frozen and prepared food in the aquarium. May eat very small fish. User data.
Furniture The tank should be furnished with ample driftwood and rocks.
Compatibility Compatible with most fishes, although very small fishes will be eaten. Ideal tankmates include larger barbs and rasboras in an Asian biotope setup or an Asian brackish water setup with archerfishes and gobies.

A social fish that is found in schools of 10-25 individuals in the wild.
Breeding Not reported.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference An account of the fishes found in the river Ganges, pp 201, 379, Pl. 23 (fig. 66).
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
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Last Update 2020 Oct 08 12:07 (species record created: 2003 May 29 00:00)