Genus · Catfish

Batrochoglanis

Batrochoglanis is a genus with 6 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Catfish section, recorded from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and 6 more countries. Adult sizes run from 5.5 in to 31.5 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
6
Adult sizes
5.5–31.5 in
IUCN assessed
6 of 6
Recorded from
9 countries

About the genus

Batrochoglanis is a genus of South American catfishes in the pseudopimelodid family, the broad-headed 'dwarf' catfishes related to Microglanis and Pseudopimelodus. Species occur across Amazon and Orinoco basin countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia, and French Guiana. The genus shares the family's ambush-predator build: a flattened head, a wide mouth, and mottled brown-and-tan blotching that camouflages the fish against leaf litter and submerged wood on river and stream bottoms. Atlas species span an unusually wide size range, from roughly 5.5 in up to about 31.5 in, reflecting real variation in adult size across the genus rather than one typical build.

Batrochoglanis draws little attention in the aquarium trade, mostly from specialist South American catfish keepers rather than mainstream fishkeepers. B. raninus carries the common name bumblebee catfish, a nod to its blotched pattern, though availability stays occasional at best. Like other pseudopimelodids, these are nocturnal, bottom-dwelling ambush predators that take live or meaty foods and rely on cover to sit and wait for prey. Conservation-wise the atlas picture is reassuring: of the species formally assessed, all four are Least Concern, while two remain Not Evaluated, more a reflection of limited survey attention across the genus's range than any known decline.

IUCN Red List: Least Concern · 4 Not Evaluated · 2

The 6 species

Every Batrochoglanis recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

(Güntert, 1942)

31.5 in TL · NE

Shibatta, 2019

8.5 in estimated · NE

Shibatta & Pavanelli, 2005

5.5 in SL · LC

(Valenciennes, 1840)

Bumblebee catfish

8 in SL · LC

(Regan, 1913)

10 in TL · LC

(Eigenmann, 1912)

6 in TL · LC

Explore further

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Batrochoglanis. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/batrochoglanis/

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