Common name
Asian bumblebee catfish
Scientific name
Pseudomystus siamensis
Category
Freshwater fish
Group
Other catfish
Environment
Tropical freshwater aquarium
Origin
Chao Phraya, Mekong and Mae Klong basins, plus peninsular and southeastern Thailand river systems
Care level
Intermediate
Adult size
Up to 18 cm total length
Expected lifespan
Multi-year catfish; plan for approximately 8–10 years, with longer survival possible under stable adult care.
Minimum housing
At least 240 L with a broad bottom footprint, several separated shaded caves and secure cover
Temperature
20–26 °C
pH
6.0–8.0
Hardness / minerals
4–25 °dGH (approximately 72–448 mg/L as CaCO₃)
Salinity
Freshwater; no routine salt addition
Lighting
Subdued to moderate lighting with dark daytime refuges
Placement / zone
Bottom and lower water
Filtration
Use mature biological filtration sized for the complete adult asian bumblebee catfish group, with guarded intakes and accessible mechanical capture. Keep flow gentle to moderate with shaded caves where the fish lives, and maintain undetectable ammonia and nitrite.
Aeration
Maintain reliable surface agitation and oxygen exchange at all times. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, heavy feeding or any sign of rapid breathing.
Maintenance
Perform regular matched-water changes guided by nitrate and waste, remove uneaten food and trapped detritus, clean mechanical media without disrupting the biofilter, and record feeding, body condition, respiration and aggression.

Identity and search names

Single-profile scope for Pseudomystus siamensis. Preserve permanent AquaNexus ID 50, slug bumblebee-catfish and route /species/bumblebee-catfish/; retain former combinations, locality labels, domestic-form names and trade names only as searchable aliases.

Search names: Siamese bumblebee catfish, Leiocassis siamensis

Environment and housing

Smooth substrate, wood or rock caves, shaded refuge, guarded intakes and oxygenated water

Social structure: Species-specific and incompletely documented; keep singly or provide several separated caves in a large monitored setup

Feeding and nutrition

Feeding ecology: Predatory insectivore/carnivore; aquatic insect larvae are documented, supplemented in captivity with varied sinking invertebrate-based foods

Feeding routine: Feed measured sinking foods after lights dim and verify the fish emerges and eats

Breeding, reproduction or spread

Hormone-induced spawning and stripped aquaculture production have been documented, but this is not a safe or routine home-aquarium method; dependable natural captive spawning remains unestablished

Detailed care and app-ready planning

Identity scope
Single-profile scope for Pseudomystus siamensis. Preserve permanent AquaNexus ID 50, slug bumblebee-catfish and route /species/bumblebee-catfish/; retain former combinations, locality labels, domestic-form names and trade names only as searchable aliases.
Adult size and space
Expected adult size: Up to 18 cm total length. Minimum permanent housing: At least 240 L with a broad bottom footprint, several separated shaded caves and secure cover. Plan around adult dimensions, activity, social structure, aggression, oxygen demand and waste production rather than sale size.
Social structure
Species-specific and incompletely documented; keep singly or provide several separated caves in a large monitored setup
Swimming zone or placement
Primary zone: Bottom and lower water. Keep that zone usable for movement, feeding, refuge and escape.
Feeding ecology
Predatory insectivore/carnivore; aquatic insect larvae are documented, supplemented in captivity with varied sinking invertebrate-based foods
Feeding plan
Feed measured sinking foods after lights dim and verify the fish emerges and eats
Water stability
Maintain 20–26 °C; pH 6.0–8.0; hardness or minerals: 4–25 °dGH (approximately 72–448 mg/L as CaCO₃); salinity: Freshwater; no routine salt addition. Stability, oxygenation and nitrogen-cycle control matter more than chasing one exact value.
Habitat structure
Smooth substrate, wood or rock caves, shaded refuge, guarded intakes and oxygenated water
Compatibility plan
Use robust fish too large to swallow and ensure they do not monopolise caves or nocturnal food. Retain separation capacity for conspecific conflict.
Breeding or reproduction plan
Hormone-induced spawning and stripped aquaculture production have been documented, but this is not a safe or routine home-aquarium method; dependable natural captive spawning remains unestablished Parental care: No dependable routine aquarium brood-care information is established.
Quarantine
Quarantine new livestock in a separate cycled system for at least 30 days. Observe appetite, respiration, waste, skin, fins and behaviour; use dedicated equipment and never add transport water to the established aquarium.
Welfare checks
Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding, and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. An 18 cm nocturnal predator can swallow small fish after dark. Aquaculture hormone induction must not be repackaged as a casual home-breeding protocol.
Biosecurity and release
Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.
Main risk
An 18 cm nocturnal predator can swallow small fish after dark. Aquaculture hormone induction must not be repackaged as a casual home-breeding protocol.
Adult projected load
Project biological load from the full adult asian bumblebee catfish group, adult body mass, feeding pattern, activity and social requirement rather than juvenile sale size. An 18 cm nocturnal predator produces concentrated waste after substantial evening meals and can hide uneaten food in caves.
Filtration
Use mature biological filtration sized for the complete adult asian bumblebee catfish group, with guarded intakes and accessible mechanical capture. Keep flow gentle to moderate with shaded caves where the fish lives, and maintain undetectable ammonia and nitrite.
Aeration
Maintain reliable surface agitation and oxygen exchange at all times. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, heavy feeding or any sign of rapid breathing.
Maintenance
Perform regular matched-water changes guided by nitrate and waste, remove uneaten food and trapped detritus, clean mechanical media without disrupting the biofilter, and record feeding, body condition, respiration and aggression.
Overridable warnings
Non-overridable: do not accept persistent ammonia or nitrite, oxygen distress, starvation, chronic aggression or inadequate adult space. Different equipment, stocking or maintenance methods may be used only when measured water quality and adult welfare remain equivalent or better. Do not combine with fish small enough to swallow or assume daytime inactivity means it is not feeding.

Compatibility, welfare and risk

Compatibility: Use robust fish too large to swallow and ensure they do not monopolise caves or nocturnal food. Retain separation capacity for conspecific conflict.

Welfare: Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding, and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. An 18 cm nocturnal predator can swallow small fish after dark. Aquaculture hormone induction must not be repackaged as a casual home-breeding protocol.

Main warning: An 18 cm nocturnal predator can swallow small fish after dark. Aquaculture hormone induction must not be repackaged as a casual home-breeding protocol.

Biosecurity and release

Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.

Sources