Aquarist Atlas
Catfish · Bagrid cats

Batasio tigrinus

Ng & Kottelat, 2001

2 cited sourcesName checked against Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes, update of

IUCNDATA DEFICIENT · 2011
DDnot on the EX–LC scale
CARESNOT LISTED
Type localityKilometer 49 on road from Thon Pha Phun to Sangkhla, 15°04'25"N, 98°33'51"E, Huai Lia, Mae Nam Khwae Noi basin, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailandper Catalog of Fishes
Genus type speciesBatasio buchananiBlyth 1860 · now a synonym of Batasio batasio
Scientific size2.5 in6.2 cm standard length
Depth—not recorded
DietInvertebrates and prepared foods; no species-specific data
BreedingNot documented
Sexual dimorphismMinimalNot documented
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

Batasio tigrinus is a small, striped bagrid catfish described by Ng and Kottelat in 2001 from Huai Lia in the Khwae Noi basin of Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. FishBase gives a maximum of 2.5 in SL. The epithet fits its banded pattern.

What's in the name

Batasio
  • BatasioGreek/Latin — a genus name taken from a South Asian vernacular term used by Hamilton (1822); the exact origin is not documented here
tigrinus
  • tigrinusLatin — Latin 'tiger-like', for the banded pattern

Taxonomy & naming

Described by Heok Hee Ng and Maurice Kottelat in 2001. The type locality is Huai Lia, Mae Nam Khwae Noi basin, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. It is a valid species in the Catalog of Fishes. The epithet is Latin for 'tiger-like'.

Morphology

A small bagrid with four barbel pairs and a spined dorsal and pectoral fin. The epithet refers to a banded pattern. FishBase gives a maximum of 2.5 in SL.

Habitat

A small-stream fish of western Thailand's Khwae Noi (Kwai) basin. FishBase classes it as a freshwater benthopelagic fish and records it from Thailand only.

Feeding

Small benthic omnivore-carnivore by genus default; takes frozen foods and sinking pellets in the aquarium.

Mating

Mating behaviour is not documented for Batasio tigrinus in the sources available to the atlas. Sexes cannot be separated reliably from the information available.

Breeding

No spawning or breeding record is known to the atlas.

In the aquarium

Suits a moderately flowing, well-oxygenated tank with rock and wood cover, kept with peaceful tankmates larger than itself. The fin spines can sting, so handle with care.

Conservation

The IUCN Red List assessed Batasio tigrinus as Data Deficient in 2011, meaning there was too little information to judge its extinction risk.

Common questions

Batasio tigrinus: how big does it get?
Up to 2.5 in standard length (SL).
Batasio tigrinus: where does it come from?
It is recorded from Thailand.

Related species compared · Batasio

SpeciesAdult sizeTemperaturepHHardnessIUCN
Batasio tigrinusthis species2.5 in SL———DD
Batasio fluviatilis5 in TL———LC
Batasio batasio8 in SL72–79 °FpH 6–7.5—LC

Recorded ranges from each species’ own page; hardness is the tolerance its sources give, not a measurement of the water it lives in.

Also from the Mae Klong basin

Sources

  1. FishBase — Batasio tigrinus
  2. Catalog of Fishes (Eschmeyer, California Academy of Sciences) — Batasio tigrinus

Naming authority: Batasio tigrinus in Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes ↗

Last reviewed 2026-10-05.

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Batasio tigrinus. Aquarist Atlas.https://www.aquaristatlas.com/catfish/batasio-tigrinus/

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