Dwarf Bumblebee Catfish (Microglanis iheringi)

The bumblebee catfish is really very pretty catfish with lovely yellowish stripes and wide smiley faces. This is a small species that reach only 3 inches. Body of this fish is elongated with large mouth. It has dark brown markings on a light brown background. The area of dark brown color on the caudal peduncle is more or less square. Dorsal fin is rounded and it is mainly dark brown in color with a pale tip. It is slightly mottled with brown and a large triangular pale patch is present which is located on the base of the last two rays of fin. Dorsal and pectoral fin spines are well developed. The caudal fin is truncated with a broad dark brown cross band while adipose fin is well developed. Maxillary barbels are present reaching past the origins of the pectoral spines. Head is flattened and lateral line is well marked. It is notoriously elusive and largely nocturnal and rarely comes out at day from its hiding place except for feeding time. In wild it mainly feeds on insects, mostly ants. The bumblebee catfish is a hardy fish that can easily adapt to most water conditions. It prefers water with pH between 6.5 and 7.5. An ideal temperature range for the bumblebee catfish is between 70 and 790 F. It grows to a max of about 8 cm in length. They can live for about 3-5 years in ideal conditions.