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Steven Grant (2) Andrew Rao (1) Sadit Khan (4) Abhisek Mishra (1)

Description: Pectoral spine shorter (1.05-1.08) than head length. Occipital process, cleithral process, scapular process all prominent and naked. Humeral process prominent on ventral side. 4 pairs of barbels. Rayed dorsal fin with 5 or 6 rays and a spine. Colouration: The colour is a combination of brown and cream vertical bands after the posterior of dorsal fin. Maxillary & mandibular barbels with alternative blackish/brown bands. Aquarium Care: Try and buy a group of them as they will prosper better in their own company than singularly. Furnish a small aquarium with sand, rockwork and driftwood with plenty of hiding places. Keep up with the regular water changes, keeping the water temperature in the mid seventies, as they can take cooler water, but will struggle if it rises into the eighties. So basically we have a cool water catfish here. You don't need a powerful filter to chase the water around the tank just normal water movement from an internal power filter will suffice. Diet: They are not fussy feeders and can be fed a healthy diet of worm foods such as frozen bloodworm and tubifex and also tablet food at lights out, as this is the time of day that they become active. Etymology: Erithistes, Etymology not explained, presumably erethizon, porcupine and–istes, adjectival suffix, i.e., porcupine-like, referring to strong and serrated dorsal and pectoral-fin spines. The species epithet hara is presumably a local Bengali name for this catfish in India.

Moth Catfish

Glyptothorax asperus, Hara buchanani, Hara filamentosa, Hara saharsai, Laguvia  asperus, Pimelodus asperus, Pimelodus hara, Hara hara.

Sisoridae

Asia: India, Nepal and Myanmar. Reported from Bangladesh.

12.0cm. (4¾ins)

12-25°C (51-77°F)

6.0-7.5.