''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. It is commonly seen in the

freshwater aquarium A freshwater aquarium is a receptacle that holds one or more freshwater aquatic organisms for decorative, pet-keeping, or research purposes. Modern aquariums are most often made from transparent glass or acrylic glass. Typical inhabitants inclu ...

trade, but its

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

is confusing and was only fully resolved in 2013. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, and found in rivers south of the

Isthmus of Kra The Kra Isthmus ( th, คอคอดกระ, ) in Thailand is the narrowest part of the Malay Peninsula. The western part of the isthmus belongs to Ranong Province and the eastern part to Chumphon Province, both in Southern Thailand. The ...

that drain into the Gulf of Thailand and river basins in the

Cardamom Mountains The Cardamom Mountains ( km, ជួរភ្នំក្រវាញ, ; th, ทิวเขาบรรทัด, ), or the Krâvanh Mountains, is a mountain range in the south west of Cambodia and Eastern Thailand. The majority of the range ...

. There are also unconfirmed reports from Penang in

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. Until 1989, it was considered to be the same as the "glass catfish" '' Kryptopterus bicirrhis'', 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 Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...

, has rarely (if ever) entered the aquarium trade.

Description

This is a

transparent Transparency, transparence or transparent most often refer to: * Transparency (optics), the physical property of allowing the transmission of light through a material They may also refer to: Literal uses * Transparency (photography), a still, ...

freshwater

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive ...

with two long

barbel Barbel may refer to: *Barbel (anatomy), a whisker-like organ near the mouth found in some fish (notably catfish, loaches and cyprinids) and turtles *Barbel (fish), a common name for certain species of fish **''Barbus barbus'', a species of cyprinid ...

s. 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'' (πτέρυ� ...

'' lack body pigment. Most of their organs are located near the head; with a magnifying glass, their heart can be seen beating. When the light strikes the fish just right, it can create an iridescent rainbow color. During strong illness and after death, they turn milky white. The scientific species name ''vitreolus'' is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''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 Currents, Current or The Current may refer to: Science and technology * Current (fluid), the flow of a liquid or a gas ** Air current, a flow of air ** Ocean current, a current in the ocean *** Rip current, a kind of water current ** Current (stre ...

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 acidic (around 6.5), water hardness should be low (less than 20, ideally less than 10 ° dGH) and the water temperature should be around . They have a reputation for being finicky eaters; they prefer live food such as

mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...

(Culicidae)

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e, bloodworms (Chironomidae larvae) and

brine shrimp ''Artemia'' is a genus of aquatic crustaceans also known as brine shrimp. It is the only genus in the family Artemiidae. The first historical record of the existence of ''Artemia'' dates back to the first half of the 10th century AD from Urmia L ...

(''Artemia''), but can be weaned to flake food with time. ''Kryptopterus''

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

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 A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes comp ...

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 plants 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