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egular visitors to ScotCat and of my monthly factsheet series will probably surmise that I like a mystery or two and this months (Nov.2000) offering is no different, so hold on for another bumpy ride!.

Pareutropius buffei

This member of the Schilbeidae family of glass catfishes has a rather mysterious past as far as the aquatic hobby is concerned.The fish we now know as P. buffei was thought not  too long ago to be Eutropiellus debauwi and the common name given to it was the “Debauwi Cat” and this fish, P. buffei that is, is still labeled with this common name in the aquatic trade. At one time we knew the two fish as Eutropiellus buffei/debauwi but the genus name of Pareutropius has now been given to these two African Glass Cats. 

Below I have included line drawings of the two species for identification. Nine times out of ten you will have P. buffei as P. debauwi is rarely imported from the wild.

Pareutropius buffei

Pareutropius debauwi

Pareutropius buffei

Pareutropius debauwi

As mentioned earlier they are a schooling species and they swim mid to low water, head up and moving their caudal fin back and forward. They are not timid when feeding time comes around as they love their food and if you ever want to catch this fish to show at a fish show this is the ideal time to catch them as their minds are very occupied when it comes to lunch. In saying that they are not a very good show fish as they tend to sulk in a show tank and don't show themselves of to the best of their ability.

3-stripe glass catfish

Eutropiellus buffei, Eutropius buffei, Eutropiellus vandeweyeri

Schilbinae

Asia: Lower course of the Ouémé (Benin), the Ogun (Nigeria) and the Niger.

7.5cm. (3ins)

24-27°C (75-81°F)

Small dorsal fin and long anal fin. Compressed body. Two midlateral body stripes, the lower one reaching the insertion of the anal fin. Two blotches on caudal fin.

Easy fish to keep in a shoal with non-aggressive species.

Has been bred, but only occasionally. They scatter their eggs of up to 100 amongst the plants. Remove the parents as they will eat the eggs. The eggs will hatch in three days and when they have used up their yolk sac you can feed brine shrimp and micro worm. They are a fast growing species.

The females of this species are usually a little bit plumper than the males.

In my experience thay will eat anything but they do love frozen bloodworm and any live food such as Daphnia and Cyclops. Feed also a good quality flake food.

Operculum: The bony covering of the gills of fishes.

Pareutropius: Para = beside; eutropia = well-fed.

Baensch, H.A. and R. Riehl 1985 Aquarien atlas. Band 2. Mergus, Verlag für Natur- und Heimtierkunde GmbH, Melle, Germany. 1216 p.
Catfish Study Group Information Sheet 20.

Photo Credits

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