Taxonomy & naming
Albert Günther described this fish in 1864 as Pimelodus brachysomus, and it now sits in Horabagrus, a genus named for the Indian ichthyologist Sunder Lal Hora. The Catalog of Fishes (Eschmeyer, CAS) gives the valid name as Horabagrus brachysoma (Günther, 1864). The type locality is recorded only as "Cochinchine [? southern Vietnam or Cochin]", so the original label was ambiguous; the species is known today from Kerala, which supports the Cochin reading. The genus has long been placed in Bagridae, and current classifications treat Horabagrus and its relatives as their own family, Horabagridae.
Hobbyists call it the yellow catfish. FishBase lists Günther's catfish as its English name.
Morphology
FishBase gives a maximum length of 17.5 in TL. The body is stout with a broad head and four pairs of barbels, and adults carry the yellow to golden-brown colour that gives the fish its trade name. Like other catfishes of this group it has no scales and carries a stout spine at the front of the dorsal and pectoral fins.
Habitat
Horabagrus brachysoma lives in Kerala, southwestern India. FishBase classes it as a freshwater and brackish demersal fish and calls it amphidromous, meaning it moves between fresh and brackish water during its life. It is found in backwaters, the coastal lagoon and canal systems of the Kerala coast, and it is a tropical fish with a recorded range of 73–77 °F.
Feeding
FishBase does not list a diet for this species. The backwater habitat and large mouth point to a predatory bottom feeder, and aquarium keepers feed it meaty foods such as fish pieces, shrimp and earthworms. Smaller tankmates are at risk once it reaches adult size.
Mating
Courtship and spawning behaviour are not recorded in the available sources.
Breeding
No aquarium breeding is documented. FishBase notes that the species contributes to a local fishery during the rainy season, from October to February, and that it is marketed live, so the animals in trade come from wild stock. No spawning data are given.
In the aquarium
This is a big, hardy-looking fish that needs a large tank. A 17.5 in adult wants a footprint of well over 59 in, with open floor, smooth cover such as pipes and wood, and strong filtration for the waste of a predator. Keep it with fish too large to swallow, or alone. Juveniles sold small are the usual trap, as they grow quickly. FishBase records 73–77 °F; a stable tropical temperature in that band suits it.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List assesses Horabagrus brachysoma as Vulnerable. FishBase carries the category without an assessment date. The species is restricted to the Kerala backwaters, where fishing for food and habitat change are the pressures usually cited for fishes of that region. Wild collection for the aquarium trade adds to the take from a fishery that already targets it.