''Kryptopterus vitreolus'', known in the aquarium trade traditionally as the glass catfishSeriouslyFish:
Kryptopterus vitreolus.
' Retrieved 18 July 2014. and also as the ghost catfish or phantom catfish, is a small species of

Asian glass catfish ''Kryptopterus'' is a genus of catfishes belonging to the family Siluridae. They are found in freshwater throughout Southeast Asia. The scientific name comes from Ancient Greek ''kryptós'' (κρυπτός, "hidden") + ''ptéryx'' (πτέρυξ, ...

. It is commonly seen in the freshwater aquarium trade, but its taxonomy is confusing and was only fully resolved in 2013. It is endemic to Thailand, and found in rivers south of the Isthmus of Kra that drain into the

Gulf of Thailand The Gulf of Thailand, also known as the Gulf of Siam, is a shallow inlet in the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. It is around in l ...

and river basins in the Cardamom Mountains. There are also unconfirmed reports from

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...

in Malaysia. Until 1989, it was considered to be the same as the "glass catfish" ''

Kryptopterus bicirrhis ''Kryptopterus bicirrhis'', often called the glass catfish, is an Asian glass catfish species of the genus ''Kryptopterus''. Until 1989, the concept of ''K. bicirrhis'' included its smaller relative ''Kryptopterus vitreolus'' ("ghost catfish"; o ...

'', a larger species infrequently seen in the aquarium trade. Subsequently, the ghost catfish commonly seen in the aquarium trade was believed to be the same as '' K. minor'', but in 2013 it was established that the aquarium specimens actually represented another species, which was described as ''K. vitreolus''. The true '' K. minor'', which is restricted to Borneo, has rarely (if ever) entered the aquarium trade.

Description

This is a transparent freshwater catfish with two long barbels. Standard lengths may range up to , but usually only reach around in total length. They are transparent because, like all catfish, they are scaleless, and catfish within the genus ''

Kryptopterus ''Kryptopterus'' is a genus of catfishes belonging to the family Siluridae. They are found in freshwater throughout Southeast Asia. The scientific name comes from Ancient Greek ''kryptós'' (κρυπτός, "hidden") + ''ptéryx'' (πτέ� ...

'' lack body pigment. Most of their organs are located near the head; with a

magnifying glass A magnifying glass is a convex lens that is used to produce a magnified image of an object. The lens is usually mounted in a frame with a handle. A magnifying glass can be used to focus light, such as to concentrate the sun's radiation to crea ...

, their heart can be seen beating. When the light strikes the fish just right, it can create an

iridescent Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to gradually change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Examples of iridescence include soap bubbles, feathers, butterfl ...

rainbow color. During strong illness and after death, they turn milky white. The scientific species name ''vitreolus'' is derived from the Latin ''vitreus'', which means glass. Among described species of ''

'', only two other species, '' K. minor'' and '' K. piperatus'', have clearly transparent bodies and both these are largely – if not entirely – absent from the aquarium trade. The body of others, including '' K. bicirrhis'', are only somewhat translucent or opaque.

In the aquarium

Native to rivers in Thailand, ghost catfish prefer tanks with open swimming areas with a moderate current and planted areas that provide shelter. Due to their timid and non-aggressive nature, they should always be kept in a group of at least five; they can be kept with other fish species of similar size and temperament. Ghost catfish are highly sensitive to changes in water quality and pH. The pH should be slightly

acid In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...

ic (around 6.5), water hardness should be low (less than 20, ideally less than 10 °

dGH Degrees of general hardness (dGH or °GH) is a unit of water hardness, specifically of general hardness. General hardness is a measure of the concentration of divalent metal ions such as calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) per volume of water. S ...

) and the water temperature should be around . They have a reputation for being finicky eaters; they prefer live food such as mosquito (Culicidae) larvae, bloodworms (Chironomidae larvae) and brine shrimp (''Artemia''), but can be weaned to

flake food Aquarium fish feed is plant or animal material intended for consumption by pet fish kept in aquariums or ponds. Fish foods normally contain macronutrients, trace elements and vitamins necessary to keep captive fish in good health. Approximately ...

with time. ''Kryptopterus'' species are different from most other catfish because they are free-swimming and live in the mid to upper region of the water. Ghost catfish commonly favor dark places to being out in the open light. A small school of them may hide under elevated rocks, logs, or the shadow of plants. Sometimes, however, one or two may venture out into the open and swim in the upper level of the water. They can be enticed to do this more often if the flow of water in the tank is arranged so that their favorite hiding spots are sheltered, while a gentle current flows in the open areas. Thus, they will move in the open especially at feeding time, as they like to go after food drifting in the current. A generous growth of

aquatic plant Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments (saltwater or freshwater). They are also referred to as hydrophytes or macrophytes to distinguish them from algae and other microphytes. A macrophyte is a plant that ...

s is necessary for their well-being, and floating plants can filter bright light, which they seem to find unpleasant. Breeding has reputedly been achieved in the aquarium, but is not documented. The aquarium trade in ''K. vitreolus'' generally relies on wild-caught specimens, and there are concerns that this may be unsustainable due to the volume and its limited range. Unlike many other aquarium fish, it is not known to be bred at commercial facilities.

Electromagnetic response

''K. vitreolus'' reacts to electromagnetic fields owing to a protein encoded by Electromagnetic Perceptive Gene (EPG).

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q13746133 Siluridae Fish of Thailand Fish described in 2013 Taxa named by Maurice Kottelat

Description

In the aquarium

Electromagnetic response

See also

References