Home / Fishes / Catfish / Imperial White Collared Yellow Catfish
No federal permit to keepImperial White Collared Yellow Catfish
Horabagrus nigricollaris
Fishes › Catfish (Siluriformes) › Horabagridae (Sun and imperial catfish)
Horabagrus nigricollaris is a species of catfish endemic to India.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 42 in long and 21 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 10.6 in / 27 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
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
- Tank: a base of at least 47 × 18 in (roughly 64 US gallons); space needed is rated “large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 73–77 °F, pH 5.5–7.5, 5–25 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament predatory.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “It's a nocturnal species, so provide dim lighting and refuges in the form of big chunks of bogwood, tangles of beech branches, large rocks or lengths of plastic piping of a suitable bore.”
- Diet: “Most specimens are easy to feed, accepting a wide range of dried and meaty frozen foods.”
- Tankmates: “Peaceful for its size and does well in a community of other placid, similarly-sized fish.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Sun and imperial catfish
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: The listed Indian catfish occupy Kerala rivers, from sluggish tributaries and backwaters used by Horabagrus brachysoma to the headwaters used by H. nigricollaris. [fg312-sun, fg312-imperial, fg312-ghats]. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- For one H. brachysoma, provide at least 180 × 60 × 60 cm (about 648 L); groups require larger quarters.
- For H. nigricollaris, the published minimum is 120 × 45 × 45 cm (about 243 L).
- Provide dim lighting and broad wood, rock or pipe refuges; secure heavy decorations against displacement.
- Use efficient biological filtration for the large Horabagrus waste load; provide oxygenated flow for H. nigricollaris.
- For Pseudeutropius mitchelli, retain open upper-water swimming space and well-aerated water rather than treating it as a bottom-dwelling Horabagrus.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 73.4–77°F |
Diet
- Dried pellets for Horabagrus.
- Frozen prawns and mussels for Horabagrus.
- Earthworms for Horabagrus.
Social life
- Horabagrus can live singly or in sufficiently spacious groups with placid fish too large to swallow; P. mitchelli is described as peaceful and upper-water dwelling. Do not put it with larger predatory Horabagrus.
Health watch
- Ammonia or nitrite injury in overloaded or immature systems.
- External parasite and opportunistic bacterial infections: general captive-fish risks, not established family-specific prevalence.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It is also known as the "Black collared catfish". It is found only in the Chalakudy River in Kerala, India.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Horabagrus nigricollaris” (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, in rivers and streams. Stays near the bottom. Inhabits hill streams at upper reaches of rivers. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
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 | Horabagrus nigricollaris is a species of catfish endemic to India. It is also known as the "Black collared catfish". It is found only in the Chalakudy River in Kerala, India. This species is an inhabitant of hill streams. — 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 |
| Appearance and size | H. nigricollaris is sleeker in body shape than H. brachysoma and can reach a length of 27 cm TL. This species is less yellow than H. brachysoma and the black markings extend over the neck, forming a "black collar" (hence the scientific name). — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Inhabits hill streams at upper reaches of rivers. — 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 total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates; aim for the middle.
pH
Water hardness
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 47 × 18 in (about 64 US gallons).
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: Horabagrus brachysoma Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Horabagrus nigricollaris Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Anna Mercy, Gopalakrishnan, Kapoor and Lakra: Ornamental Fishes of the Western Ghats, India, Pseudeutropius mitchelli, p. 161 Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- UF/IFAS: Fish Health Management in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, Part 2: Pathogens 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.
