Striped glass catfish
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| Striped glass catfish | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Siluridae |
| Genus: | Kryptopterus |
| Species: | K. macrocephalus |
| Binomial name | |
| Kryptopterus macrocephalus Bleeker, 1858 | |
Kryptopterus macrocephalus, the striped glass catfish, is a species of sheatfish native to the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo in Southeast Asia. This species, large for its genus, grows to a length of 9.7 centimetres (3.8 in) SL.
Kryptopterus macrocephalus is one of several freshwater fish endemic to Southeast Asia described by Pieter Bleeker in the 1850s when he was stationed in the Dutch East Indies, practicing his ichthyology alongside his military duties. The fish's name is derived from a combination of Kryptopterus (meaning "hidden wing", in reference to the reduced dorsal fin), and macrocephalus meaning "large head".[2]
This species may go by a multitude of common names, such as the striped glass catfish, false glass catfish, the East indies glass catfish,[3] and the Poor man's glass catfish.[4]
Description
This is a translucent freshwater catfish with two long barbels. The body is a smoky colour, with a transparent anal fin and belly, with organs visible. The fish is capable of changing its colour to some extent, taking on a mottled form [5] even though it is not known why. When the light strikes the fish just right, it can create an iridescent rainbow color. During strong illness and after death, they turn milky white.[2]