Dwarf Marbled Catfish (Microglanis poecilus)

Dwarf Marbled Catfish (Microglanis poecilus) is a small, shelter-associated South American catfish with a broken dark-and-pale pattern. It is an interesting choice for an established tropical aquarium where the keeper can provide a mature filter, stable water, a generous bottom footprint and several secure retreats. This is a carnivorous bottom fish rather than an algae eater, so it needs its own sinking animal-based food.

One quantity buys one fish. The current supplier dispatch size is approximately 3-4 cm. The published scientific maximum is 6.9 cm standard length, which excludes the tail fin; the supplier's 8 cm adult planning figure is therefore a sensible allowance for aquarium planning, not a separate measured scientific maximum. Fish can vary naturally in size, body condition and markings.

The identity matters here. Microglanis poecilus and Microglanis iheringi are separate valid species, although both may be sold under broad trade names such as bumblebee catfish. This listing is for the supplier-recorded M. poecilus. It is not a Siamese algae eater, cold-water fish, pond fish, pleco or cory. The care information below is written for the named species and clearly labels the places where aquarium guidance is an informed planning recommendation rather than a tested biological limit.

The current product image is a representative illustration, not a photograph of the exact fish that will be dispatched. Use the written identity and size information when deciding whether this species suits your aquarium; individual colour balance and marbling will vary.

Quick care and purchase summary

Scientific name	Microglanis poecilus Eigenmann, 1912
Common name	Dwarf Marbled Catfish; sometimes loosely grouped with bumblebee catfish in the aquarium trade
Family	Pseudopimelodidae
Quantity	One fish per quantity selected
Current dispatch size	Approximately 3-4 cm
Adult planning size	Allow for approximately 8 cm overall; the published maximum is 6.9 cm standard length, excluding the tail
Aquarium type	Mature, heated freshwater aquarium with a broad bottom area and several separate shelters
Temperature	Supplier husbandry guidance: 24-28 degrees C; stability is more important than chasing a changing number
Water character	Stable, clean, mildly acidic to neutral water; supplier pH guidance is 6.0-7.0
Diet	Carnivorous; appropriately sized sinking complete foods plus varied frozen or live aquatic invertebrate foods
Activity	Cryptic and shelter-associated; often easier to observe when the aquarium is calm or lighting is subdued
Compatibility caution	Do not assume fry, shrimplets or very small fish are safe with a small carnivorous catfish
Breeding and sexing	Poorly documented for this species; sex is not guaranteed
Image status	representative illustration; exact fish and markings vary

This summary is a starting point, not permission to skip aquarium preparation. Measure your own aquarium, test its water, consider every existing inhabitant and plan how the fish will receive food at the bottom. The tank-volume calculator can help with actual water volume, while the water matcher can help compare your established conditions with the planning guidance on this page.

What you receive

One live fish, not a pair or group

Each quantity selected represents one Dwarf Marbled Catfish. The listing does not promise a male, female, bonded pair or breeding group. Reliable external sexing guidance for juvenile M. poecilus is not established, so the fish should be purchased for its suitability as an individual animal rather than for a guaranteed sex or future pairing outcome.

The supplier's current size band is approximately 3-4 cm. This is a dispatch measurement and must not be confused with adult size. A young fish can look much smaller than the caves, wood and tankmates in a prepared adult aquarium, but planning around its eventual size avoids the common mistake of treating a juvenile shipping measurement as the fish's permanent space requirement.

Natural variation and representative media

Marbling, band width, shade, body condition and apparent colour can change with the individual, lighting, background and stress. The illustration helps communicate the general kind of fish and habitat presentation, but it cannot identify the exact specimen you will receive. It should not be used as a promise that every patch, fin edge or body proportion will match pixel for pixel.

A newly arrived fish may initially look paler, darker or more withdrawn than an established fish. Shipping, an unfamiliar aquarium and bright lighting can all affect presentation. Judge adjustment through breathing, posture, feeding, body condition and gradual settling rather than expecting instant display behaviour.

Identity: Microglanis poecilus, not M. iheringi

Microglanis poecilus was described by Carl H. Eigenmann in 1912 and is the type species of the genus Microglanis. Current taxonomic catalogues recognise it as a valid species in the family Pseudopimelodidae. Microglanis iheringi, described later, is also a valid species. They are not interchangeable scientific names for the same fish.

The aquarium trade can make this confusing because “bumblebee catfish” is applied to more than one small patterned catfish. A common name can be useful in conversation, but it does not provide a dependable identity by itself. For this reason, this page leads with Dwarf Marbled Catfish and the supplier-recorded scientific name Microglanis poecilus. When comparing care pages or shopping elsewhere, check the scientific name rather than assuming every bumblebee catfish result concerns the same species.

The distinction affects more than labelling. Information copied from another species can create false confidence about distribution, temperature, behaviour, breeding and adult size. This page therefore avoids using M. iheringi claims as though they were measured facts for M. poecilus. Where evidence for the exact species is limited, that gap is stated instead of being filled with generic catfish folklore.

What the name does and does not prove

The supplier record is the commercial provenance anchor for the fish offered here. The name is taxonomically valid, but a supplier label alone is not equivalent to a diagnostic examination of every individual specimen. Exact visual identification within a group of similarly patterned catfish may require locality information and examination of diagnostic characters. That uncertainty is why the image is described as representative and why the written listing does not promise an exact pattern.

This careful wording does not make the product vague. It tells you precisely what is known: the fish is supplied to us as M. poecilus, the scientific name is valid, the sale unit is one fish, the current dispatch size is approximately 3-4 cm, and the husbandry plan is built around the available species, supplier and welfare evidence.

Natural range and habitat

The original description of M. poecilus was based on material from below Packeoo Falls in what is now Guyana. Modern catalogues and regional checklists report a wider South American distribution across parts of the Amazon, Orinoco and Guianas region. Some older summaries present a narrower range centred on the Essequibo, French Guiana and Suriname. Because current sources do not all express the range in the same way, it is safer to describe the species as northern and tropical South American than to call it an Essequibo endemic.

Species-level habitat reporting places M. poecilus in freshwater creeks with little current and bottoms covered by decomposing leaves. Research across the genus Microglanis describes small, clear, slow-current creeks where fish can shelter among submerged leaves, branches, trunks, pebbles and stones. These observations provide a useful design direction for the aquarium: cover, structure, shaded retreat and a bottom zone that is not blasted by flow.

A natural-looking setup does not mean reproducing an unmanaged pile of decaying material. Leaf litter and wood can enrich shelter and visual cover, but trapped food and waste still need attention. In an aquarium, the goal is to borrow the useful structural features of the habitat while retaining reliable filtration, oxygenation, observation and maintenance access.

Turning habitat evidence into aquarium design

• Use several caves, wood gaps or stable rock shelters rather than one contested hiding place.
• Keep entrances large enough for the fish to enter and leave without scraping its body or becoming trapped.
• Choose smooth sand or another non-abrasive bottom surface, particularly around regular feeding areas.
• Break up direct light with plants, wood, botanicals or shaded zones while keeping a normal day-and-night rhythm.
• Avoid directing a powerful pump at every refuge; preserve calm bottom areas while maintaining overall filtration and oxygen exchange.
• Secure wood and rockwork before the fish is introduced. A burrowing or shelter-seeking fish must not be able to undermine an unstable structure.
• Leave enough open floor space to place and observe food. A beautifully crowded layout is not helpful if the keeper cannot confirm that a shy fish is eating.

The Catfish & Plecos collection is useful for comparing body forms and aquarium roles, while the South American Catfish collection provides regional context. These category links are for comparison, not a claim that every catfish displayed there has identical care.

Aquarium size and layout

No primary species study provides a universal minimum aquarium volume for M. poecilus. A single number would also ignore shape, stocking, filtration and shelter design. For one adult, a mature aquarium around 60 litres with roughly a 60 cm footprint is a cautious starting plan rather than a proven biological threshold. Choose more bottom area and overall volume for multiple bottom fish, a busier community or less efficient maintenance access.

Floor dimensions matter because this fish uses cover and the lower part of the aquarium. A tall narrow tank can hold the same litres as a longer aquarium while providing much less usable bottom area. Use the external dimensions only as a first estimate: substrate, rocks, wood, air space and equipment reduce actual water volume.

Filtration and maturity

Introduce the fish only to a cycled aquarium with working biological filtration. A calendar date does not prove a cycle; repeatable tests showing that the system processes waste are more useful. In routine aquarium practice, ammonia and nitrite should be undetectable with a dependable hobby test, and nitrate should be managed through stocking, feeding, plant growth and water changes appropriate to the whole community.

The filter should turn over and oxygenate the aquarium without making the bottom a high-velocity channel. A spray bar, adjusted return or layout that diffuses flow can create calmer refuges. Protect any intake that could trap a small fish, and inspect the intake routinely for reduced flow or trapped debris.

Maturity also means stability. A newly filled aquarium can have the correct temperature and pH on one test while still lacking established microbial processing, predictable feeding patterns and settled tankmates. A prepared aquarium should already be operating steadily before a live fish is dispatched.

Shelter count and line of sight

Provide at least several usable shelters for one fish and additional separate retreats if other bottom dwellers are present. The exact count depends on the layout, but the principle is simple: no inhabitant should have to pass a dominant tankmate or cross an exposed area to reach every safe place. Wood arches, ceramic caves, smooth stone gaps and shaded planting can all contribute if they are stable and cleanable.

Do not seal the fish into an invisible maze. Keep at least one side or entrance observable so that you can check breathing, body condition and whether food remains. If a cave is so deep that a dead or distressed fish could not be located, redesigning the refuge before stocking is kinder than discovering the problem later.

Water conditions and stability

The supplier husbandry record gives 24-28 degrees C and pH 6.0-7.0. These are commercial maintenance guidelines, not experimentally proven survival limits. Specialist aquarium sources sometimes offer a cooler range, while field surveys from the wider region record warmer water without tying every measurement to an individual fish. Rather than turning conflicting observations into a false exact rule, use the supplier band, keep the temperature stable and avoid sudden moves between very different conditions.

For many mixed tropical aquariums, a steady point near the middle of the supplier range is easier to match than repeated adjustments. The right setting must also suit the other inhabitants. Check the aquarium over a normal day, near the substrate as well as near the heater, because room temperature, lighting and equipment can create variation.

The supplier record gives a hardness range of 0-10 in its care data, but authoritative species-specific hardness limits were not located. Regional low conductivity suggests soft, mineral-poor water context, yet conductivity cannot be converted into a precise universal dGH target without knowing the dissolved ions. The practical message is to favour stable, clean, mildly acidic to neutral water and avoid abrupt hard-to-soft or soft-to-hard transitions.

Water parameters: evidence and interpretation

Parameter	Planning guidance	How to interpret it
Temperature	24-28 degrees C supplier range	Use as husbandry guidance, not a tested tolerance limit; keep changes gradual and match tankmates
pH	6.0-7.0 supplier range	Stable mildly acidic to neutral water is preferable to repeatedly using chemicals to chase an exact decimal
Hardness	Supplier data records 0-10	No authoritative species-specific limit was located; test source and aquarium water and avoid abrupt mineral change
Ammonia and nitrite	Undetectable in a mature home aquarium	Any confirmed reading requires investigation of filtration, feeding, stocking and recent disturbance
Oxygen and flow	Well oxygenated overall, with calmer bottom refuges	Gentle habitat does not mean stagnant water; watch breathing and maintain surface exchange

Changing water without creating instability

Regular partial water changes are usually safer than allowing waste to accumulate and then making a very large corrective change. Match replacement water closely for temperature and make sure any conditioner is dosed for the actual water being treated. If source-water chemistry differs greatly from the aquarium, establish a controlled preparation method rather than improvising on water-change day.

Test trends, not just isolated numbers. Record pH, temperature, nitrogen waste results and any relevant hardness or conductivity measurement together with maintenance, feeding changes and unusual behaviour. A log can reveal a slowly failing filter, excessive feeding or source-water change before the fish shows severe distress.

Never use temperature shock or an abrupt “rainy season” water change as a breeding trigger for this species. Species-specific breeding triggers are not established, and destabilising water in the hope of spawning can compromise every fish in the aquarium.

Feeding a small carnivorous catfish

A regional checklist classifies M. poecilus as a carnivore. Detailed species-level stomach-content evidence was not located, so the aquarium plan should remain practical and conservative: offer complete sinking food suitable for small carnivorous fish, then provide variety with appropriately sized frozen or live aquatic invertebrate foods. Bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp, small insect larvae and similar foods may be useful when their size and origin are appropriate.

This catfish is not sold as an algae eater. It should not be expected to clean the glass, solve an algae problem or live on food left for herbivorous plecos. Algae control depends on light, nutrients, maintenance and the actual needs of any specialist grazer; adding a carnivorous fish is not a substitute for that work.

How to make sure the fish receives food

• Place sinking food close enough to a known shelter that the fish does not have to cross the whole aquarium while exposed.
• Feed at a calm point in the lighting cycle. A meal shortly before or after the main lights dim may help a cryptic fish approach food, but this is a husbandry tactic rather than proof of strict nocturnality.
• Use more than one feeding point in a community so fast midwater fish and dominant bottom dwellers cannot take every item.
• Choose pieces small enough to swallow safely. Oversized food can be ignored, dragged into a cave or left to decay.
• Observe the abdomen and overall body condition over time. A fish that hides can still lose weight unnoticed if feeding is judged only by food disappearing.
• Remove uneaten food once the feeding opportunity has passed. Food decomposing under wood or leaves burdens water quality.

Variety is useful, but “varied” does not mean uncontrolled amounts. Rich frozen or live food can pollute a small aquarium quickly. Start with a modest portion, watch whether it reaches the intended fish and adjust from direct observation. A fasting day, feeding frequency or portion formula should not be imposed blindly across juveniles, adults, recovering fish and different community stocking levels.

Live and frozen food safety

Source live and frozen food from a reputable aquarium supply chain. Wild-collected worms or insects can introduce contaminants, parasites or unsuitable prey. Thaw frozen food in a clean container when appropriate, avoid tipping unnecessary packing liquid into the aquarium and never refreeze thawed food.

A complete prepared food provides a dependable nutritional base. Treat single frozen items as variety rather than assuming one favourite food is nutritionally complete. If the fish refuses food after arrival, first assess environmental causes such as shelter, light, tankmate pressure, temperature and water quality before repeatedly adding more food.

Behaviour and social planning

The strongest evidence describes Microglanis as shelter-associated in structured creek habitat. In an aquarium, expect a cryptic fish that may spend long periods inside or under cover. Hiding alone is not evidence of poor health, but it should not make health observation impossible. A useful layout lets the fish feel secure while still allowing the keeper to check it periodically.

Reliable evidence does not establish a compulsory shoal size, solitary requirement or fixed group rule for M. poecilus. One fish can therefore be planned as one animal, while anyone considering several should provide substantially more bottom area and multiple equivalent refuges. Do not buy a group merely because a generic catfish table says “six or more,” and do not assume several fish will form a visible coordinated shoal.

Purchase quantity should be based on aquarium capacity, shelter distribution, feeding access and the available social evidence. More fish are not automatically better when a compulsory group requirement has not been established.

Normal reserve versus a warning sign

A reserved fish may wait under cover and emerge when the room is quiet. Concern rises when hiding is accompanied by rapid or laboured breathing, repeated surface visits, loss of balance, clamped fins, skin changes, a hollowing abdomen, refusal of suitable food over time or unusual exposure in a distressed posture. Behaviour must be interpreted alongside water tests and the fish's recent history.

A sudden change in an established individual deserves more attention than a consistent habit. Check equipment, temperature and water before assuming the fish has become “shy.” Filter failure, heater malfunction, a newly aggressive tankmate or maintenance disturbance can all change behaviour.

Compatibility

Choose similarly sized, peaceful tropical fish whose water needs overlap. Calm midwater fish may work well because they do not rely on the same shelters, but every candidate must be assessed for adult size, activity, feeding speed and chemistry. Avoid large aggressive fish, persistent fin nippers and powerful bottom dwellers likely to monopolise caves or food.

Because M. poecilus is carnivorous, do not guarantee safety with fry, shrimplets or very small fish that could be swallowed. “Peaceful” and “predator-proof” are not the same. A fish can ignore similarly sized neighbours while still taking tiny animals opportunistically.

Compatibility planning table

Potential companion	Planning view	Main check
Peaceful midwater community fish	Often the most practical category to assess	Match temperature and chemistry; avoid fish small enough to be prey
Other small catfish	Possible in a larger, well-structured aquarium	Provide separate shelters and feeding points; watch bottom-space competition
Corydoras	Assess species by species rather than giving a blanket guarantee	Water overlap, floor area, feeding access and disturbance around shelters
Adult shrimp	Not guaranteed safe	Species, shrimp size, cover and individual behaviour
Shrimplets and fish fry	High predation risk	Use a separate rearing aquarium if survival matters
Large or aggressive fish	Avoid	Risk of injury, intimidation and food exclusion
Cold-water or pond fish	Not an appropriate match	This is a heated tropical freshwater species

Use the tank-mate checker as an initial comparison aid, then verify the adult needs of every named species. A tool cannot see the dimensions, cave layout, individual temperaments or feeding dynamics in your aquarium.

Comparison with the Asian Bumblebee Catfish

The Asian Bumblebee Catfish is a different fish from a different genus and region. Similar trade wording and a bold pattern do not make them substitutes. Check the scientific name, adult size and care for the exact product rather than choosing by common name alone.

Arrival, acclimation and quarantine

Prepare the aquarium before ordering. Confirm that the heater, filter and lid are working; test water; establish several shelters; and decide where the fish will be fed. Do not leave aquascaping, cycling or tankmate research until a live animal is already travelling.

On arrival, inspect the unopened bag and follow the current instructions supplied with the order. Avoid prolonged handling or repeated photography. Temperature equalisation and water transfer should be controlled, but bag water can change chemically during transit, so an unnecessarily long open-bag drip process is not automatically safer. The acclimation timer can help organise the current method, but the instructions accompanying the animal take priority.

Dim aquarium lighting during introduction and release the fish near cover without pouring transport water into the display when the supplied instructions advise against it. Keep the room calm. A cryptic catfish may move directly into a refuge; this can be a reasonable first response and is not a reason to dismantle the aquarium immediately.

Quarantine

A separate, cycled quarantine aquarium is the best way to observe a new fish without exposing an established community. Veterinary guidance for pet fish recommends a quarantine period of at least 30 days and notes that longer may be appropriate. The quarantine system needs functioning filtration, heating, hiding places and dedicated equipment; a bare uncycled container is not a welfare improvement.

Quarantine is for observation and evidence-based action, not automatic medication. Do not add salt, copper, antibiotics or antiparasitic products simply because a fish is new. Treatments have species and system risks, may harm invertebrates or filtration, and can obscure the real problem. Record signs, test water and seek an aquatic-experienced veterinary diagnosis when illness is suspected.

Keep nets, siphons and containers dedicated to quarantine, or disinfect and dry them through an appropriate method before reuse. Wash hands and avoid moving water between systems. Observe appetite, faeces, breathing, posture, skin, fins and body condition under consistent light.

Ongoing care and health observation

A small hidden fish benefits from a repeatable routine. Check temperature and equipment daily, watch feeding, and inspect the fish whenever it appears. Test water on a schedule suited to the aquarium and additionally after a filter interruption, missed maintenance, unexplained behaviour change, medication, death or major stocking change.

Weekly practical checklist

• Confirm the heater and filter are operating normally and that the intake is clear.
• Test the parameters relevant to your aquarium and record unusual changes.
• Inspect shelters for trapped food without removing every refuge at once.
• Check that the fish has access to food and that faster tankmates are not taking it all.
• Look for stable body condition, intact barbels and fins, normal balance and unlaboured breathing.
• Remove waste from accessible areas while leaving the aquarium structurally familiar.
• Check that rocks, caves and wood remain stable after maintenance.

Do not clean every filter medium and surface at the same time. Preserve biological filtration by following the equipment maker's maintenance guidance and using aquarium water where appropriate for rinsing biological media. Replace media only when its function requires replacement, not because it has lost its original colour.

Signs that need investigation

Loss of appetite, persistent rapid breathing, flashing, spots, ulcers, swelling, marked weight loss, abnormal swimming, clamped fins or a sudden inability to remain upright are signs, not diagnoses. First verify temperature, ammonia, nitrite, oxygenation and recent changes. Photograph or video the sign when this can be done without stressing the fish, note the timeline and consult an aquatic-experienced vet or qualified fish-health professional.

Avoid treating by internet keyword. Similar signs can arise from water quality, parasites, bacterial disease, injury, toxins or nutritional problems, and the wrong medication can delay effective care. Never combine products unless their compatibility and dose for the actual water volume are established.

Sexing and breeding

Species-specific breeding and sexing information for M. poecilus is poorly documented in authoritative sources. This listing therefore does not claim that body shape reliably identifies sex, that a particular water change triggers spawning, or that the fish is an egg scatterer, cave spawner or parental-care species.

The fish is sold unsexed. Juvenile size makes confident visual sexing still less defensible. Anyone attempting a breeding project should begin with confirmed identity, long-term observation, excellent water quality and a dedicated plan for eggs or young, but should not destabilise the main aquarium through abrupt cooling, warming or chemistry change based on generic catfish advice.

Breeding uncertainty is useful information. It prevents a purchase made on a false promise and leaves room for careful, documented observation. If reproducible species-specific evidence becomes available, husbandry guidance can be updated without pretending that an inference was already a fact.

Is the Dwarf Marbled Catfish right for your aquarium?

This fish may suit you if you enjoy observing subtle bottom-dwelling behaviour, can provide a mature heated aquarium and are comfortable with an animal that may spend much of its time under cover. It is a poor choice when the only goal is visible activity, algae removal or guaranteed shrimp compatibility.

Good reasons to choose this species

• You have stable tropical freshwater conditions that overlap the supplier guidance.
• Your aquarium offers a broad bottom area, calm refuges and more than one secure shelter.
• You can deliver sinking carnivorous food without overfeeding the rest of the community.
• Your tankmates are not aggressive, excessively small or dependent on the same limited cave.
• You accept that the fish may be cryptic and that the image is representative rather than an exact-stock photograph.
• You can quarantine and observe a new fish responsibly.

Reasons to choose a different fish

• You need an algae eater or a cold-water pond species.
• Your aquarium is uncycled, unstable or has no secure bottom shelter.
• You need guaranteed safety for fish fry or shrimplets.
• You want a guaranteed sex, breeding pair or documented group display.
• Existing bottom fish already compete for every cave and feeding area.
• You cannot verify that the temperature and chemistry suit all inhabitants.

Current livestock delivery terms, eligible areas and the Live Arrival Guarantee are explained on the delivery information page. Check those terms before ordering rather than relying on a permanent product description for a particular dispatch day.

Frequently asked questions

How large does Microglanis poecilus grow?

The published maximum is 6.9 cm standard length, which excludes the tail fin. The supplier gives an 8 cm adult planning figure. Treat 8 cm as a practical overall allowance, not as a second published maximum measured by the same method. The fish currently offered is approximately 3-4 cm at dispatch.

Is one quantity one fish?

Yes. One quantity buys one unsexed Dwarf Marbled Catfish. A quantity does not mean a pair, group or shoal. If ordering more than one, increase bottom area, shelter choice and feeding access rather than multiplying fish into the same small layout.

Is the Dwarf Marbled Catfish an algae eater?

No. M. poecilus is classified as carnivorous and needs appropriately sized sinking animal-based food. It should not be bought to clean algae and should not be maintained on herbivore wafers or incidental leftovers alone.

Is it a cold-water or pond catfish?

No. It is a tropical freshwater species. The supplier husbandry range is 24-28 degrees C. A heated indoor aquarium with stable conditions is the appropriate plan; it is not a cold-water pond animal.

What pH does it need?

The supplier guidance is pH 6.0-7.0. Aim for stable, clean, mildly acidic to neutral water rather than repeatedly adjusting the aquarium to hit a single decimal. Check that every tankmate also suits the chosen conditions.

Does it need a group?

No authoritative source establishes a compulsory group size for this species. One fish can be planned as one animal. Several require more floor space, more separate retreats and careful observation; do not assume that a group will shoal or that a fixed number is biologically required.

Can it live with shrimp?

Shrimp safety cannot be guaranteed. Adult shrimp may or may not be ignored, but shrimplets are appropriately sized potential prey for a small carnivorous catfish. Use a separate shrimp or rearing aquarium when survival is important.

Why is my fish hiding?

This is a cryptic, shelter-associated fish, so use of caves, wood and shaded areas can be normal. Investigate if hiding is a sudden change or is accompanied by breathing difficulty, weight loss, injury, refusal of food or abnormal posture. Test the water and review tankmate pressure before trying to force the fish into the open.

When should I feed it?

Offer sinking food when you can observe that it reaches the fish. A calm period around dimming lights can help a reserved individual feed, but the species should not be described as proven strictly nocturnal. Use multiple feeding points if other fish dominate meals.

Is this the same as Microglanis iheringi?

No. M. poecilus and M. iheringi are separate valid species. Both may appear under broad bumblebee catfish wording, which is why the scientific name matters. This listing follows the supplier identity Microglanis poecilus.

Can the sex be selected?

No. The fish is sold unsexed, and dependable juvenile sexing criteria were not located for the species. Body fullness alone is not a safe basis for a sex guarantee.

Is the product image the exact fish?

No. The current image is a representative illustration. The live fish will vary in markings, shade, body condition and size within the stated dispatch range. The illustration is preserved as a presentation aid, not as proof of exact specimen identity.

Evidence notes and further reading

The care plan separates direct species evidence from aquarium inference. Identity and taxonomic status are supported by Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and the GBIF species record. The original description is available through the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

The FishBase species summary supports the 6.9 cm standard-length record and low-current, leaf-covered creek habitat. A peer-reviewed Neotropical Ichthyology study of the genus provides broader habitat context for small, clear, slow-current creeks with submerged structural cover. Distribution is expressed cautiously because current catalogue, checklist and summary sources do not all describe the known range in exactly the same way.

Temperature, pH, hardness and dispatch size in the quick-care table use the current supplier record and are labelled as husbandry guidance. Aquarium volume, layout, feeding presentation and compatibility are conservative welfare planning recommendations derived from adult size, habitat, diet and practical aquarium management; they are not presented as experimentally measured species limits. Breeding, exact social requirement and reliable sexing remain explicitly unresolved.

For buying decisions, use the scientific name, one-fish quantity, dispatch size and care requirements together. Search popularity or a familiar common name should never override the identity and welfare needs of the live animal.