The Black Lancer Catfish (Bagrichthys macracanthus)

The Black Lancer Catfish (Bagrichthys macracanthus) has surprisingly only one common name in English. It is not well known in the hobby perhaps because of the difficulty in getting them to breed in captivity. This Lancer Cat has several other fish from the same genus that are seen in Local Fish Stores from time to time; their defining feature is their large dorsal spine (big poky bit at the front of the fin on their back), which is longer than the fish is tall. Black Lancer Cats stay relatively small, getting to be ten inches long, with a much more common adult size of seven or eight inches long. They are reported to be endemic to (only come from) Sumatra, though there are reports of them being caught throughout Indonesia and south east Asia; they have a variety of common names in Thailand, Laos, and China which also throws some doubt into their being so limited in range. They are generally found in murky, slow moving streams and rivers, where they will move into flood plains during monsoons to breed. While uncommonly seen as an aquarium fish, they are a common food fish in Indonesia, being primarily marketed fresh.

Keeping Bagrichthys macracanthus in the home aquarium is relatively straight forward. They like pretty normal aquarium parameters, with temperatures in the mid to upper 70s being ideal, a pH just under 7 (anywhere in the 6s is fine) and based on their native habitat, and their penchant for moving into flood plains, they are somewhat adaptable to at least a small degree of variability in these exact parameters. Black Lancer Cats eat a variety of detritus and crustaceans in the wild and will relish small worms and shrimp in the home aquarium. This being said they are not a picky eater and will also do well on sinking pellets that are small enough to fit inside their mouths.

They are a shy fish, especially initially and are generally very peaceful to fish that do not live in the same zone of the aquarium as them. Other bottom dwellers, especially other catfish could be targets of aggression. Fish keepers who are interested in keeping more than one should only attempt to do so in large aquariums and we suggest keeping a harem of 2 or 3 females with only one male. Males can be differentiated from females because they have external genitalia. This shyness means they will need some caves that are easy to get into and out of, higher plants are also appreciated as they both cut down light and help divide tanks up. They do well with slightly larger dither fish (active bold fish) as this will help them feel more confident. While initially nocturnal, they generally learn to come out for food during the day quite quickly. Only the smallest fish are in much danger of being consumed by the Black Lancer Catfish.

One note of caution is that there are many reports of this fish burning itself by hiding behind a heater. We haven't seen this in our holding systems because our heaters are not in the individual tanks. Take some time to prepare your display in a way that keeps your fish safe (even from itself). Beyond this, the Black Lancer Cat is a beautiful display fish with its jet black coloration. It gets along well with a wide variety of fish and would make a great addition to your planted aquarium display. Ask your Local Fish Store about getting your Bagrichthys macracanthus from Aquatropic today!