Publisher's Synopsis
The Asian stone is a small species of catfish covered in shades of mottled gray and brown. The coloring marks the fish's body in rough stripes, giving them a resemblance to a rock that helps them blend in. Even their eyes change color from dark brown to light beige.
These Asian catfish have sharp, serrated dorsal fins that they use for defense. If something tries to eat them, the spines stick in their mouths and make them choke.
They also have long spines along their pectoral fins. The fins are longer than that of most catfish, and they resemble an anchor.
Asian stone catfish are popular in nano tanks because they only grow to about 1.3 in (3 cm) in length. In the wild, they may grow larger, up to 1.6 in (4 cm), but this doesn't happen often.
BdFISH describes them as "Body elongated ventral side flattened. Head depressed. Mouth small. Body inferior or sub-terminal. (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991). Eye small. Body not rough. Barbel four pairs. Dorsal spine strong. caudal fin forked, upper lobe longer then lower lobe. Color brownish (Rahman, 1989), yellowish brown (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991). Irregular bands present on body, caudal, anal and pelvic."
Although they are small, they have a decent lifespan of about 5 years.
- Common Names: Asian stone catfish, moth catfish, dwarf anchor catfish
- Scientific Name: Hara jerdoni
- Origin: Northeastern India & Bangladesh
- Asian Stone Catfish Size (Length): 1.3 in (3 cm)
- Aquarium Size: 10+ gallons
- Temperament: Peaceful
- Ease of Care: Easy
