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No federal permit to keepAsian redtail catfish
Hemibagrus nemurus
Fishes › Catfish (Siluriformes) › Bagridae (Asian whiskered catfish)
Hemibagrus nemurus is a species of catfishes in the family Bagridae.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 126 in long and 51 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 25.6 in / 65 cm).
- Water: Freshwater (tolerates brackish).
- Temperature: 72–77°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 7–8.2.
- Hardness: 10–25 dGH.
- Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
- Diet: A predator: feed meaty foods sized to its mouth (frozen fish, shrimp, worms); it will eat tankmates that fit in its mouth. FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 68–81 °F, pH 6–8, 2–20 dGH.
- Behaviour: kept alone; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Likely to prefer dim lighting and access to refuges in the form of driftwood, large rocks or lengths of plastic piping.”
- Diet: “This species is a predator feeding primarily on crustaceans and smaller fishes, although there should be no need to use such live foods in captivity.”
- Tankmates: “Aggressively territorial and incompatible with other fishes in all but the largest public installations and even then may attack its tankmates.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Asian and African whiskered catfish
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Bagrids span sheltered Southeast Asian streams and muddy rivers as well as African lake habitats, including Lake Malawi for Bagrus meridionalis. [fg247-siamensis, fg247-nemurus, fg247-kampoyo]. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- For one Pseudomystus siamensis, provide at least 120 × 30 × 30 cm (48 × 12 × 12 inches), with much more bottom area for multiple fish.
- Use dim lighting and abundant pipes, pots or tangled wood as daytime refuges for nocturnal Pseudomystus.
- Break sightlines into separate bottom territories.
- Position or protect heaters so resting scaleless catfish cannot burn themselves.
- Plan accommodation around adult size: Hemibagrus nemurus reaches 65 cm standard length and B. meridionalis is reported to 150 cm; the small-species tank minimum is unsuitable for them.
Diet
- Prawns and other crustacean flesh.
- Mussels or cockles.
- Earthworms.
- Accepted complete sinking foods; initially feed Pseudomystus after lights-out.
Social life
- P. siamensis eats swallowable companions and defends bottom territories; combine only with appropriately sized fish and sufficient separate refuges. Do not extrapolate its compatibility to every bagrid.
Health watch
- Contact burns from accessible heaters.
- Fat deposition and organ degeneration from inappropriate mammal or poultry meat.
- Ammonia toxicity.
- Infections introduced with livestock or live feeder fish.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
After a major review by Ng and Kottelat (2013), its distribution is believed to be confined (endemic) to Java. It is found in Sumatra in the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park in 2016, too.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Hemibagrus nemurus” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater and brackish water, in rivers and streams. Uses both the bottom and open water. Occurs in most habitat types, but most frequent in large muddy rivers, with slow current and soft bottom. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater / brackish water, 72–77 °F (22–25 °C), pH 7–8.2, hardness 10–25 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Wild diet | Hunting macrofauna (predator). |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 72–77 °F.
- It tolerates or needs brackish water; check salinity needs before setup.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 90°F (up to 96°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 68°F (down to 59°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 76–82°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 72–81% on average (driest month about 71%) |
| Rainfall | about 2264 mm a year |
Measured at 147 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Hemibagrus nemurus is a species of catfishes in the family Bagridae. After a major review by Ng and Kottelat (2013), its distribution is believed to be confined (endemic) to Java. It is found in Sumatra in the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park in 2016, too. These catfish are found in Malaysia, Indonesia (Java, Sumatra, Borneo) and Thailand. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Biology | Occurs in most habitat types, but most frequent in large muddy rivers, with slow current and soft bottom. Feeds on exogenous insects, aquatic insect larvae, shrimps, other crustaceans and fishes. Moves into flooded forests to spawn and the young are usually first seen in August. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- Ovarian development of a river catfish Hemibagrus nemurus (Valenciennes, 1840) in captivity Adebiyi FA et al., Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological genetics and physiology 2011
- The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Hemibagrus nemurus (Siluriformes: Bagridae) Wu YP et al., Mitochondrial DNA. Part A, DNA mapping, sequencing, and analysis 2016
- Fatty acid composition on diet and carcasses, growth, body indices and profile serum of Asian redtail catfish ( Hemibagrus nemurus) fed a diet containing different levels of EPA and DHA Aryani N et al., F1000Research 2022
- Plasma sex steroid hormonal profile and gonad histology during the annual reproductive cycle of river catfish Hemibagrus nemurus (Valenciennes, 1840) in captivity Adebiyi FA et al., Fish physiology and biochemistry 2013
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. See all 5 on PubMed → 170
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish: Pseudomystus siamensis Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- FishBase: Hemibagrus nemurus Peer-reviewed researchAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- FishBase: Bagrus meridionalis Peer-reviewed researchAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Disorders and Diseases of Fish Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.