Taxonomy & naming
Described by Tyson Roberts in 1989 as a Mystus and later moved to Hemibagrus, hence the parentheses. The type locality is Sintang Market, reportedly caught in the Sungai Kebian, Borneo, Indonesia. It is a valid species in the Catalog of Fishes. The epithet means 'resembling Olyra', a different catfish genus.
Morphology
A slender bagrid with four barbel pairs, spined dorsal and pectoral fins and an adipose fin. FishBase gives a maximum of 8 in SL, which is modest for a genus that includes much larger species.
Habitat
Known from the Kapuas system of western Borneo, Indonesia. Fishermen in the Kapuas Lakes area told surveyors that it lives in the upper reaches of the main rivers among wood debris and sunken logs. FishBase classes it as a freshwater demersal fish.
Feeding
A carnivore-omnivore by genus default; the genus eats fish, crustaceans and insects.
Mating
Mating behaviour is not documented for Hemibagrus olyroides 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
Rarely kept. At up to 8 in SL it needs a sizeable tank, and it will eat smaller tankmates. Handle the fin spines with care.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List lists Hemibagrus olyroides as Near Threatened, meaning it is close to qualifying for a threatened category; FishBase gives no assessment year. Wild-caught fish are the usual source in trade.