Detailed Information About the Glass Catfish Aquarium Fish

---

Back to Page 2

Brief Overview

The Glass Catfish is an excellent beginner fish. Glass Catfish are hearty and active, eat well, and have an obviously clear body. This "clear bodied" feature allows a clear view of their skeletal structure, and is, therefore, an excellent learning tool. I have never had one of these glass catfish die on me. A little known fact about the Glass Catfish Tropical Aquarium Fish is that they can display the very most beautiful rainbow luminescent color of any Tropical Freshwater Fish. It takes a flashlight to see, but shine a light on these fish and you will see a beautiful rainbow stripe along their body; truly beautiful. As with aquarium fish take careful precaution adding these fish to your tank to reduce stress as much as possible. Glass catfish tropical aquarium fish should be kept away from larger, more aggressive fish like Cichlids, or large Angelfish. Some good tank mates for these fish would be those with similar size and temperament like the Black tetra, the Blue Neon Tetra, or the Cory Catfish.

To watch a Youtube video of this fish click here.

Wikipedia Information

The glass catfish or ghost fish, Kryptopterus bicirrhis, is a transparent freshwater aquarium fish. Body lengths can range up to 15 cm (6 in) in nature, but are usually less in aquarium specimens and can grow to be 10-13 cm (4-5 inches).

History

Native to Southeast Asia, these catfish prefer tanks with open swimming areas with a moderate current, and planted areas to provide shelter. Timid fish, they should always be kept as a group of at least 5, and can be kept with other fish species of similar size and temperament. Glass catfish are highly sensitive to changes in water quality and pH. The pH should be between 6.5 and 7.5. The fish have a reputation for being finicky eaters; they prefer live food such as mosquito larvae, but can be weaned to flake food with time. They are different from other catfish because they live in the mid - upper region of the body of water. They are transparent and most of their organs are located near the head. They are transparent because, like all catfish they do not have scales and they also don't have body pigment. The glass catfish turns milky white when dead, suggesting it does something during its life to keep it transparent. When the light strikes the fish just right, it can make the fish an iridescent rainbow color. If you look at a live glass catfish with a magnifying glass you can see its heart beating.

Glass catfish commonly favor dark places to being out in the open light. A small school of glass catfish may hide under elevated rocks, logs, or the shadow of plants. Sometimes, however a glass catfish or two may venture out into the tank and swim in the upper level of the water. This is normal.
Glass Catfish is a key ingredient in the salty fish sauce popular in Asian cuisine.

Back to Page 2

Click here to read the full Wikipedia Article and get even more great information!

Some common Favorites