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Adrian Taylor (2)

Members of the genera Parakysis are at the moment few in number, with only 6 species making up this genus. Their range seems to be restricted to the Malay Peninsula, through to the Greater Sunda Isles; of Borneo, Indonesia and Sumatra. Parakysis can easily be distinguished from the species that make up the genera Akysis and Pseudobagarius as they do not possess an adipose fin as such; having only what is called an adipose ridge, which can at times be hard to distinguish as it is shallow and runs along the median of the dorsum surface. Aquarium Care: An aquarium having a gravel substrate and containing areas of pebbles, small rocks and a scattering of small grass like plants would make an ideal set up for these little hillstream catfishes. Fish such as Brachydanio rosaeus and Barbus rhombocellatus would make excellent tank companions for these small, but somewhat inconspicuous members of the Akysidae family. Diet: A diet of live foods such as: Daphnia, Cyclops, small bloodworms and white worms should be offered, as like most of the sub-family ‘Parakysinae’, Parakysis notialis tends not to feed upon commercially prepared dried foods; although they will accept small frozen bloodworms. Etymology: The genus name Parakysis: para-, near, i.e., similar to Akysis but lacking an adipose fin. The specific name verrucosus: covered with verrucae, or warts, the skin “covered everywhere with very small granules or tubercles”.

None

None

Akysidae

Asia: Malay Peninsula, through to the Greater Sunda Isles; of Borneo, Indonesia and Sumatra. Type locality: Mawai District, Johore, Malaysia.

5.0cm (2ins)

19-23°C (65-73°F)

6.7-7.2.

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
ScotCat Factsheet no. 195. Sept. 2012.